Life & Legacy
Ikramullah Shahid
Brief Biography
Ikramullah Shahid Ibn-e-Midrar (1949–2024) was a distinguished writer, lawyer, scholar, social activist, and veteran politician. He devoted his life to the service of Islam, to scholarship and literature, to research and writing, to defending the doctrine of the Finality of Prophethood, and to the political and social welfare of the people. His public life spanned more than five decades. Throughout it, he served the people of Mardan with dedication, working to solve public problems, promote social welfare, and advance the development of the region.
He was born on June 12, 1949, in Mardan, into a family with deep roots in scholarship and patriotism. His father, Maulana Midrar Ullah Midrar, was an eminent religious scholar, writer, and journalist, and one of the front-ranking leaders of the Pakistan Movement. This heritage of learning and service shaped Ikramullah Shahid’s character and outlook throughout his life.
Ikramullah Shahid earned a Master’s degree in Islamic Studies from the University of Peshawar and an LLB from the University of Karachi. His passion for learning never faded, despite his political and social commitments. He went on to complete an M.Phil. in Iqbal Studies at Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad, with a dissertation titled “Iqbal and Afghanistan.” He later enrolled in a PhD program to research “Iqbal and Afghan Personalities,” but declining health prevented him from completing it.
By profession, he was an Advocate of the High Court, widely respected for his integrity and dedication to justice. He held religious scholars (Ulema) in great esteem and maintained close ties with the religious community throughout his life. He had a deep love for the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and was passionately committed to upholding the doctrine of the Finality of Prophethood (Aqeedah-e-Khatm-e-Nubuwwat). As an active member of Aalami Majlis-e-Tahaffuz-e-Khatm-e-Nubuwwat, Mardan, he defended this belief consistently through his writings and speeches. Alongside his father, he struggled tirelessly for this cause and played a prominent role, both in writing and in practice, against the Qadiani and Parvezi movements.
Ikramullah Shahid entered politics in 1979, when he was elected Councilor and subsequently Chairman of the Municipal Committee Mardan. He was re-elected to both positions in 1983 and went on to serve a third consecutive term as Councilor. In the 2002 general elections, he ran on the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) ticket and was elected Member of the Provincial Assembly. On November 27, 2002, he became Deputy Speaker of the Provincial Assembly, a position he held until March 21, 2006.
Alongside his public career, he remained a committed researcher and writer, publishing numerous articles and research papers in journals and magazines. In the later years of his life, he devoted himself increasingly to scholarly work. He also played a key role in preserving, compiling, and carrying forward his father’s scholarly and literary legacy. His books, listed below, are available on this website:
Ba-Yaad-e-Quaid-e-Azam: Tareekhi Matami Mushaira Conference (1948)
Iqbal aur Afghanistan (Iqbal and Afghanistan)
Parvez aur Quran, al-Musamma ba Ihtisab-e-Parveziyat (compiled, with additions)
Tajalliyat-e-Siddiqi (compiled, with additions)
Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan: Siyasat aur Afkar (Politics and Thought)
Maktubat-e-Siddiqi
Tajalliyat-e-Qureshi (compiled)
Midrar al-Fatawa (compiled)
Municipal Committee Mardan: Aik Jaiza (A Review) (1987)
Da Mardan Yadgari Musha’are, 1936–2022 (in preparation)
Maulana Midrar Ullah Midrar aur Tehreek-e-Pakistan (Maulana Midrar Ullah Midrar and the Pakistan Movement) (in preparation)
His love of books found its fullest expression in Midrarul Uloom Library. His father, Maulana Midrar Ullah Midrar, founded the library on August 14, 1991, out of his deep love for knowledge and reading. After his father’s death in 1994, Ikramullah Shahid made the library’s growth the mission of his life. For him, books were not merely objects for reading; they stood for knowledge, heritage, and a lifelong calling. Wherever he travelled, he sought out books, rare publications, journals, and magazines to bring back to the library. Through decades of devoted effort, the library grew into a substantial and diverse repository of learning.
From the 1970s until 2024, Ikramullah Shahid remained actively engaged in political, social, and literary life, dedicating himself to serving society and advancing democratic values. Through his writings, speeches, activism, and political work, he inspired countless people and contributed meaningfully to public discourse. He used the written word to document history, raise social awareness, and encourage critical thinking.
Ikramullah Shahid passed away on June 26, 2024. His son, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Mushtaq Ahmad, led his funeral prayer. A large number of people from all walks of life attended, a testament to the deep respect and affection he had earned over a lifetime.
After his passing, his three sons, Iftikhar Ahmad Farooq, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Mushtaq Ahmad, and Dr. Muhammad Jawad Ikram, established the Ikramullah Shahid Research Center in his name. In doing so, they honored his advice that, after his death, they should work together under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Muhammad Mushtaq Ahmad to care for and expand the library and preserve its intellectual heritage. The Center’s mission is to preserve knowledge, support scholarship, and make the intellectual heritage of the past accessible to researchers of the present and future.
Midrarul Uloom Library lies at the heart of the Research Center. Its collection covers the Holy Qur’an and Qur’anic Studies, Hadith, Seerah, Fiqh, Shariah and Law, Islamic history, Khatm-e-Nubuwwat, Qadianiyyat, and Parveziyyat. It also holds works on comparative religion, the history of Pakistan and the Pakistan Movement, the Indian subcontinent, and Afghan Studies. Beyond religious and historical studies, it includes Urdu, English, and Pashto literature, politics, the social sciences, science and technology, education, biographies, travel, and reference works, along with a Kids’ Corner to encourage young readers. Among its most valuable holdings are old handwritten books and manuscripts, some more than a hundred years old, and a considerable collection of old and contemporary journals and periodicals. Ikramullah Shahid’s grandsons, particularly Muhammad Yahya, Muhammad Saad, and Muhammad Eesa, also help care for the library and carry this family and scholarly legacy forward.
Iftikhar Ahmad Farooq serves as Patron of the Research Center, representing the family’s custodianship of Ikramullah Shahid’s legacy and providing overall guidance. Prof. Dr. Muhammad Mushtaq Ahmad, Professor of Shariah and Law at the International Islamic University, Islamabad, serves as Director and chairs the Academic and Research Advisory Council. Dr. Muhammad Jawad Ikram, Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the Arab Open University, Saudi Arabia, serves on the Council as Science and Technology Research Advisor. He oversees the Center’s digitization, digital archiving, and online presence.
The Center welcomes university faculty, MPhil and PhD scholars, historians, writers, and independent researchers who wish to use its resources for serious academic or historical research. Researchers may apply through the online application form on this website or write to research@ikramshahid.org. Those who use the Center’s resources are kindly requested to acknowledge the Ikramullah Shahid Research Center and its library in their resulting thesis, book, article, or other publication.
His sons have also recently established the Ikramullah Shahid Foundation, a charitable and social welfare organization that carries forward the values of education, service, compassion, and community development that defined his life. The Foundation supports deserving and underserved individuals and families through practical initiatives in four key areas:
Education: providing free or supported educational opportunities to children from poor and disadvantaged families, including scholarships, learning resources, and other academic support.
Healthcare: helping individuals and families who cannot afford essential medical care to access basic healthcare services.
Financial assistance: supporting deserving individuals and families facing genuine economic hardship.
Support for future generations: developing sustainable programs that create educational and social opportunities for children and young people.
Through these efforts, the Foundation seeks to turn the ideals of education, service, and social responsibility into meaningful and lasting action. Its aim is to build an enduring legacy of service that helps individuals and communities create better opportunities for themselves and for generations to come.
This digital archive has been established to preserve Ikramullah Shahid’s intellectual legacy and document his lifelong contributions. It gives future generations access to his writings, speeches, photographs, memories, and historical records.
May Allah grant complete forgiveness to Maulana Midrar Ullah Midrar and Ikramullah Shahid Ibn-e-Midrar, fill their graves with light, accept their scholarly, religious, political, and social services, and make them a source of continuing reward (sadaqah jariyah) for them. May He grant them a high place in Jannat al-Firdaus, and enable us to preserve, publish, and benefit from their scholarly legacy. Ameen, Ya Rabb al-Alameen.