A seminar on academic contributions of Dr. Mohammad Nejatullah Siddiqi was organised by Indian Institute of Islamic Studies and Research (IIISR), Shoba e Farogh e Fikr e Islam, JIH Delhi and the Board of Islamic Publications (BIP), at Afzal Husain Auditorium, IIISR, Delhi on February 24. During the programme a book Essays on Islamic Economics and Finance,highlighting some of the important contributions of Professor Nejatullah Siddiqi to Islamic Finance was released by Dr. Abdul Azim Islahi.
Almost all the speakers were of the view that carrying forward the academic legacy of Nejatullah Siddiqi will be the real tribute to him. The book Essays on Islamic Economics and Finance, published by BIP, is a collection of articles of Nejatullah Siddiqi available on his website http://www.siddiqui.com/mns/,with due permission from Dr. Siddiqi’s son.
Dr. Abdul Azim Islahi, who was professor at the Islamic Economics Institute, Jeddah and the only student from India who completed his Ph.D under Nejatullah Siddiqi from AMU while highlighting the contributions of M.N. Siddiqi to the field of Maqasid e Shariat, said that Nejatullah Siddiqi tried to incorporate some more aspects to the age-old notions of Maqasid e Shariat like protection of Deen, life, material, knowledge and dignity. He was of the view that some more aspects should be incorporated through debate, keeping in mind the challenges the world has been facing through inclusive approach like global warming and some other challengers facing the world society at large. According to Dr Islahi, Prof Nejatullah Siddiqi never tried to impose his point of view on others and was always open to hear and discuss others’ viewpoints with open mind. He also changed his views if he was convinced by others’ point of view which is reflected from his books.
Dr. Waquar Anwar, Finance Advisor of JIH, while speaking on contributions of M.N. Siddiqi to the field of economics said his initial effort to the field of Islamic Finance was pathbreaking and addition of important dimension to the existing philosophy of economics. According to him, contributions of Nejatullah Siddiqi to the field of Islamic Finance is vision for the future of Islamic Economics. Dr Anwar also shed light on why family rather than market should be the guiding principles in economic analysis, the importance of risk-sharing in the concept of Islamic Finance as compared to risk transfer.
Dr. Hasan Raza, Director IIISR, while speaking on the contributions of M.N. Siddiqi to the field of literature said that Nejatullah Siddiqi was a multifaceted personality and his contribution to the field to Islamic movement, Islamic Finance and Literature is exemplary and students and researchers can expand their academic wisdom and horizons through his remarkable contributionsto these fields.