Ghulam Mustafa Khan facts for kids

Dr. Ghulam Mustafa Khan (born September 23, 1912 – died September 25, 2005) was a very important Pakistani scholar. He was a researcher, a writer, and an expert in languages. He taught about Urdu literature and how languages work. He was also a religious and spiritual leader. He belonged to a group called the Naqshbandi order of Sufism, which is a spiritual path in Islam. He received the Sitara-e-Imtiaz award, which is a high honor from the President of Pakistan.

Life and Work

Ghulam Mustafa Khan was born in Jabalpur, India, on September 23, 1912. His family spoke Urdu and were Pashtun people. In 1928, he finished his ninth grade in Jabalpur. Then, he went to Aligarh Muslim University in Aligarh for more studies.

He earned several degrees from Aligarh Muslim University. He got a law degree (LLB) and a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Urdu literature and Persian language. In 1947, he completed his PhD. His PhD was about a Persian poet from the 12th century, Hassan Ghaznavi. Later, in 1959, he received another high degree, a Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.), from Nagpur University in India.

After finishing his studies, he became a lecturer at King Edward College in Amrawati. When Pakistan became a country, he moved there from India. He then worked at Urdu College in Karachi. Later, he became the head of the Urdu department at University of Sindh.

He received many awards for his academic work. These included the Naqoosh award, the Iqbal award, and the Nishan-i-Sipas.

Dr. Ghulam Mustafa Khan wrote many research papers and about 93 books. He also did translations and compilations. His book called Iqbal and Quran was considered the best book on that topic. It won a Gold Medal Award from the Institute of Literature, Pakistan.

He was also a respected religious and spiritual leader. Many famous scholars were his students. Some of them include Ibn-e-Insha, Jameel Jalibi, Aslam Farrukhi, and Farman Fatehpuri.

Books He Wrote

Ghulam Mustafa Khan wrote over 100 books. He wrote in Arabic, Persian, Urdu, and English. Here are some of his important books:

• Iqbāl aur Qurʼān: This book looks at the poems of Sir Muhammad Iqbal. It shows how Iqbal was inspired by the Koran, which is the holy book of Islam.
• Maulānā ʻUbaidullāh Sindhī kī sarguz̲asht-i Kābul: This book tells the story of Ubaidullah Sindhi. He was an Indian Muslim reformer who worked against the British. He lived in Afghanistan from 1915 to 1922.
• Urdū men̲ Qurʼān aur Ḥadīs ke muḥāvarāt: This book explains how the Koran and Hadith (sayings of Prophet Muhammad) influenced Urdu phrases. It also includes examples from famous Urdu poets.
• Adabī jāʼize: This is a series of books that review different works of Urdu literature.
• Fihrist : Sindh men̲ Urdū mak̲h̲t̤ūt̤āt: This book lists Urdu manuscripts. These are old handwritten books found in libraries and with people in Sindh, Pakistan.
• Sayyid Ḥasan G̲h̲aznavī : ḥayāt aur adabī kārnāme: This is a detailed study of Hassan Ghaznavi. He was a Persian poet from the 12th century. The book includes parts of his poems.
• S̲aqafatī Urdū: This book talks about Urdu words and phrases. It explains how Urdu borrowed words from different Indian languages.
• Fārsī par Urdū kā as̲ar: This book explores how the Urdu language influenced the Persian language.
• Ḥālī kā z̲ahnī irtiqā: This book discusses the ideas and progress in the thinking of Maulana Altaf Hussain Hali. Ghulam Mustafa Khan was an expert on Hali's work.
• Pakistan's book of cricket records: Besides literature, Dr. Khan also loved cricket. He was a statistician for the Board of Control for Cricket in Pakistan (now called Pakistan Cricket Board) in 1957-58. He kept careful records and wrote articles about Pakistan's cricket. He wrote for famous cricket magazines like Wisden Cricket Almanac and Cricketer International. Later, he even became the Board Secretary for PCB in 1995. Many cricket fans and officials were sad when he passed away.

Death and Legacy

Ghulam Mustafa Khan passed away on September 25, 2005. He was 93 years old. Many literary groups and the two universities he worked with shared their sadness. Iftikhar Arif, who was the Chairman of the Pakistan Academy of Letters, said that his death would greatly affect research in literature.

Pirzada Qasim, who was the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Karachi in 2005, said that his death was a big loss for Urdu literature in Pakistan.

Awards and Recognition

• Sitara-i-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence) from the President of Pakistan
• Presidential Iqbal Award for his book Iqbal and Quran