Dr Syed Muhammed Ahmed is a well wisher of Thus Spake Hazrat Shaikh. He has retired as Assistant Public Relations Officer of the Aligarh Muslim University nearly a decade ago. He got his doctorate degree from the Faculty of (Sunni) Theology of AMU for a dissertation on Maulana Obaidullah Sindhi. The thesis began in mid eighties of twentieth century but eventually was submitted after his retirement from university services. In the close circle he is called Miyan.
In 1873AC Maulvi Samiullah Khan organized a function at Aligarh for the establishment of an institution of modern learning for Muslims. Many of the participants were the nobles and the Nawabs. Funds were collected. Mr Syed Hasan of Hapur, amongst the biggest food grain Mandies in northern India, was one of the contributors. A sum of rupees five might look insignificant in today's terms but certainly not in olden days. Mr Syed Hasan Sahab was the great grand father of Miyan. The Madrsa Madinat-ul-Uloom was established in 1875AC at Aligarh. It grew into MAO or Mohammedan Anglo Oriental College in due time. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan participated in that function from Banaras for, though the general secretory of the college fund committee, he was posted there being in British service. As the history has it the college later developed into AMU later on.
Miyan is grand son of Syed Mehmood Hasan who was born at Hapur. Mr Maqsood Hasan, grand son of Mr Syed Hasan and father of Miyan was born in Aligarh and was martyred in 1953. Behind the remnants of an old Seminary (Madarsa) in Hapur there were family houses. Though born in Aligarh Miyan spent his childhood in one of those houses. This Seminary finds a mention in Akhbar-e-Jamal-a book on the history of Aligarh. Though Miyan is a man of happy beliefs but many people from the other branches of the family were associated with Jamiat-e-Ulama.
Miyan is an Aligarian to the core, a man of learning to the effect of being a walking encyclopedia-particularly of Aligarh Movement and the history of Islam as well as India. He had received traditional Arabic and Persian education as well as modern one. All through out his life he has dabbled in journalism including a few years sojourn to Bombay (now Mumbai). Problems of Islam, Muslims and the Ummah seldom far away from his mind. From the point of view of worldly achievements one can only present a wide circle of friends and well-wishers, external achievements are never part of repertoire of a man of mission and more so for a man who lives like the bricks of foundation as does Miyan. A remarkable man indeed.
