Dr. Abidullah Ghazi believed in the concept that “Teaching should be Centered Around the Child, His Needs and Temperament.” He has taught and lectured in India, UK, USA and the Middle East. In addition he has taught at several universities and colleges in the United States, namely San Diego State, the University of Minnesota, Northwestern University, and Governor’s State University. He has also taught at the King Abdul Aziz University in Saudi Arabia. He has been an educational consultant to several universities and educational institutions. Dr. Ghazi has helped various educational institutions to develop programs of Islamic Studies and special courses in Islamic and South Asian Studies and is a founding member of East-West University (Established 1983) and the American Islamic College (1985). He along with his wife Dr. Tasneema Ghazi are educators without borders and have provided educational consultation in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippine, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and scores of other countries.

While at Harvard in 1968 Dr. Abidullah Ghazi, along with his educator wife Dr. Tasneema Ghazi ((Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction with specialization in Reading and Language Arts from the University of Minnesota Minneapolis), became aware of the need to apply modern methodology for the teaching of Islamic Studies and promotion of interfaith dialogue. At Harvard University in 1968,they questioned how they would teach Islam to their children. Deciding to make America home, they knew they had to nourish their children’s Fitrah with more than the memorization of Islamic tenets. Even more, they wanted their children’s Islamic education to positively impact those around them. This later became a serious concern and furthered a passion by which both Dr. Ghazi and his wife conceptualized an entire system of Islamic Studies appropriate for modern pluralistic society and global village.
Their answer? As educators – by training and vocation - they conceived an entire curriculum of Islamic Studies, based on the traditional madrasah syllabus yet framed within a modern educational methodology. Inspired by modern approaches to religious education, they created rudimentary syllabi, textbooks and workbooks. IQRA’s popular Program is based on the traditional madrasah syllabi with application of modern methodology now is use in North American Islamic schools and several dozen other countries across the world.
Along the way, they gathered like-minded Islamic educators and professionals until, in 1983, their collective efforts coalesced to found IQRA’ International Educational Foundation. Since then, the Ghazis and the IQRA’ staff created the defining Program of Islamic Studies, which includes 150 books of syllabi, textbooks, workbooks and teacher’s manuals. These books have been translated into many languages and are a part of curriculum in more than 40 countries. This curriculum has been approved by Rabta-e-Aalame Islami (Makkah Mukarramah).
As the Muslim community grew, so did their educational needs. IQRA’ designed workshops and assessment tools for school administrators and teachers, coaching for parents to nurture their children’s classroom experience, and school events for children.
Dr. Abidullah Ansari Ghazi is the recipient of many prestigious awards, most notably Saif Fida Hussain Gold Medal for best Speaker (1954-1955) at AMU Convocation, Prime Minister of India Fellowship (1958-59), Sitara-i- Imtiyaz Award (Pakistan 1983), Nishan-e-Imtiyaz Award for the Development of Educational Curriculum (Pakistan 1988), the prestigious SARC Interfaith Conclave’s Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Award of Interfaith Harmony, New Delhi (2007), Kainat Society’s (Delhi), Sir Sayyid Award of Social Service (2006). His Prominent awards in America are Citizenship Award, Ronald Regan Award, Certificate of Welcome from the city of Los Angelis, (1995).
Dr. Abidullah Ansari Ghazi is a well known Urdu writer ( Novel- Inqlab: Ek Kahani Ek Tareekh) and poet. His recent book on Urdu poem “Zikr-e-Saman Azaran” (2003) and Urdu prose book “Sareer-e-Khama” (second edition, 2004) and Maulana Abdullah Ansari, Ahwaal, Khidmat aur Ilmi Asaar became very popular.
Nothing in this world is everlasting. We all belong to Allah and to Him do we return.
Dr. Abidullah Ansari Ghazi died on 11th April 2021 at the age of 85. His death is a great loss for whole Muslim Unmah. We surely lost an asset. Words may not suffice to express the heartfelt sorrow that we feel for Dr. Abidullah Ansari Ghazi's death.
May Allah bless him for his unique contribution and expand his grave and light it with His blessings, grant him highest place in Jannah and grant us Sabr in this tough time and help us to bear this loss.
We are confident that the importance of his education works will unfold as time passes. Within our lifetime, Dr. Abidullah Ghazi’s efforts have pioneered a change that is transforming the understanding of Islam and interfaith relations across the world. (Concluded)

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