Khurshid Ahmad (centre) died in Leicester, UK after a protracted illness, his family and party confirmed [Getty]
A renowned Pakistani scholar and academic, Khurshid Ahmad, has died in Leicester, UK, at the age of 93 following a prolonged illness, his family and the Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) party confirmed on Sunday.
Ahmad was an economist, philosopher, politician, and Islamic scholar widely respected for his pioneering work in Islamic economics and socio-political thought. He authored numerous books on Islamic literature, economics, and social issues.
The Jamaat-e-Islami party described him as “one of the pioneering thinkers of Islamic economics and an institution in himself.” He served as the party’s deputy chief for over two decades, stepping down in 2015.
Educated in business and economics at Government College University in Lahore, Ahmad later moved to Karachi to avoid arrest amid police crackdowns on JeI members during violent riots. He earned a master’s degree in economics and Islamic studies from the University of Karachi.
In the 1950s, he served two terms as president of Islami Jamiat Talaba, Pakistan’s largest student organisation, and went on to found the Institute of Policy Studies, a think tank based in Islamabad. He also edited Tarjuman-ul-Quran, a prominent Islamic magazine, for nearly 20 years.
Ahmad was elected to Pakistan’s Senate three times and served as deputy chairman of the Planning Commission. He also received an honorary doctorate in education from the University of Leicester, where he taught contemporary philosophy.
Alongside fellow scholar Khurram Murad, Ahmad co-founded the Islamic Foundation in Leicestershire, which became one of the UK’s most influential Muslim institutions. The Foundation played a significant role in educational and civic development within Britain’s Muslim community during the late 20th century.
Tributes have poured in from across the Muslim world. The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) described Ahmad as “a towering figure in contemporary Islamic thought” and praised his role in shaping discourse through the Islamic Foundation’s publishing, training programmes, and interfaith engagement.
Ahmad received numerous accolades for his work, including Pakistan’s highest civilian award, the Nishan-e-Imtiaz, in 2011. He was also honoured by the Islamic Development Bank in 1989 for his contributions to Islamic economics and received the King Faisal Award for Service to Islam in 1990.
