01/10/2025
We were honored to welcome Dr. Aqeel Abbas Jafri to the Murtazavi Library and Research Center. His visit was a memorable occasion where we discussed scholarly research and his remarkable contributions to literature, philately, and cultural history.
I had the privilege to present my research work on Molana Murtaza Hussain Fazil Lakhnawi’s life, writings, and contributions. Dr. Jafri kindly shared his thoughts and offered valuable guidance on improving the work and preparing it for publication, which I deeply appreciate. It was equally enriching to hear from him about his pioneering role in Pakistani philately—including the Pioneers of Freedom series, the commemorative stamps on Ghalib, the sixtieth anniversary of the Urdu Lughat Board, and many other important stamp series that preserve our cultural and intellectual heritage.
During his visit, I also showed him our rare books section, which includes valuable works of Ghalib, Deputy Nazir Ahmad, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, Prof. Abdus Salam, and other luminaries, alongside rare manuscripts that form a treasured part of our collection. Our discussion about his remarkable book Maʿtoob Kitaben and the history of banned books was made more vivid as we examined some rare editions of Deputy Nazir Ahmad’s works preserved in our library.
Dr. Jafri, who has been honored with the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz for his research and literary services, is also the author of important works such as Pakistan Chronicle. We also spoke about his recent book Wafiyyat Watan sey door, in which he has written about my mother and her contributions—a gesture that touched me deeply. He further informed us about his upcoming books, which we eagerly await.
As a gracious gesture, Dr. Jafri also gifted me his books: Karachi ki Azadari, Farsh-e-Aza, Khudnawisht by Haji Syed Jalal al-Din Haider, and Wafiyyat .. watan sey door.
The discussion was further enriched by the presence of Dr. S. Aliya Fatima and S. Ali Hassan Naqvi, making the occasion even more special.
We remain grateful for Dr. Jafri’s visit and look forward to continued dialogue and collaboration with him.
DrAqeel Abbas Jafri
Aliya Naqvi
Syed Muhammad Naqvi
26/09/2025
We were honored to host Ms. Noor Ahmed (Curator, Karachi Biennale 2027), Mr. Tehmash Khan (Archivist, Aga Khan University), Mr. Lukas Salm (Research Fellow, Aga Khan University, Germany), and Mr. Saeed Husain (Managing Editor, Folio Books) at the Murtazavi Library and Research Center.
Our conversations revolved around museums, the preservation of historical artifacts, and the vital role of libraries in safeguarding knowledge. We also shared highlights from our collections and discussed different aspects of our research and preservation work.
Together with Dr. Syeda Aliya Fatima, as well as Noor and Saeed, we discussed education, homeschooling, and cultural engagement, while Lukas shared his experiences in Pakistan and his reflections on the region’s social and political situation. We greatly benefitted from Tehmash’s professional guidelines on preservation, offering us important steps and strategies to ensure our collections remain safe and sound for future generations.
A highlight of the gathering was displaying a letter from the late Dr. Husain Muhammad Jafri—renowned author of The Origins and Early Development of Shiʿa Islam—addressed to his teacher, our founder Ayatullah Allama Murtaza Hussain Fazil Lakhnawi. This was shown alongside part of our unique archive of over 1,000 letters received by Molana Fazil Lakhnawi from scholars, ʿulama, poets, politicians, and other leading figures, preserved with many other important documents and manuscripts in our library.
We also exchanged thoughts on possible future collaborations, exploring ways in which our library can continue to contribute to academic, cultural, and preservation projects. My children, S. Vafa Zahra and S. Taha, also joined us on this occasion, making the gathering even more meaningful.
Such moments remind us of the enduring importance of libraries and museums as guardians of cultural memory, knowledge, and heritage. Special thanks to Mr. Saeed Husain for arranging this meaningful visit.
02/09/2025
Dr. Karim Aman, a distinguished professor and scholar from the Aga Khan University where he teaches comparative religions and he's also engaged with the Community Development Foundation, honored us with his visit to the Murtazavi Library and Research Center, a few days ago. Along with Dr. Aliya Naqvi, we discussed different matters of community development, philosophy of religion and the role of libraries and academia in advancement and cultural development of the societies.
The exchange of ideas was insightful, and we look forward to continuing this dialogue through future collaborations.
Syed Muhammad Naqvi
Murtazavi Library
Karachi, Pakistan
