The Maulvi Nur ur Rahman Award for Distinguished Authorship

 

                     Maulvi Nur ur Rahman

 

The annual Nur ur Rahman Award for Distinguished Authorship is comprised of a $1000 cash prize to be given by the Aligarh Alumni Association to an author or creator of a body of work whose efforts have illuminated topics of interest for the Muslim community in India or in the United States.

 The award was founded in 2023 by Maulvi Asad ur Rahman to memorialize his father Maulvi Nur ur Rahman whose life’s work was dedicated to helping to create avenues for development and advancement for the Muslim community and to support India in its quest for independence during the 1920’s, 30’s and 40’s. During his lifetime Maulvi Nur ur Rahman was active in the Independence Movement and was imprisoned by the British for his outspoken opposition to their rule over India.

  Maulvi Nur ur Rahman was a journalist, an author of books and the founder and editor-in-chief of Jamia Millia Magazine and an office-holder in the Muslim Chamber of Commerce. He founded Jamia Millia Magazine in January 1923 and was also one of the co-founders of Jamia Millia, and was deeply committed to the success of this great educational institution for the entirety of his life. One of his foundational beliefs was a refusal to compromise his ethical conduct for the sake of political expediency and for this reason he forfeited the political office that was offered to him by President Zakir Hussain, his lifelong friend.

 The Nur ur Rahman Award for Distinguished Authorship embodies the spirit of its namesake with his lifelong record of actions to promote intellectual development and understanding through authorship, intellectual exploration and academic development on behalf of the community at large.

 This year the Nur ur Rahman Award for Distinguished Authorship is being presented to Arfa Khanum Sherwani for her excellence in pioneering investigative journalism in the service of the public interest.