Abdul Karim Parekh
Born 15 April 1928 · verify
Died 11 September 2007
Translated the Quran into Urdu and delivered influential Islamic discourses in India.
🔔 Add birthday reminderAbdul Karim Parekh , popularly known as Maulana, was an Indian social worker and scholar, known for his translation of Quran into Urdu language and his discourses on the Islamic religious text.
✨ A detail that surprised us
Despite only completing primary school before working as a laborer, Abdul Karim Parekh’s Urdu translation of the Quran was reprinted over 40 times by 2007.
1. 🌟 Born on 15 April 1928 in Kanseoni village, Maharashtra, Abdul Karim Parekh left formal schooling after primary classes and worked as a laborer, yet taught himself to translate the Quran into Urdu, a version reprinted over 40 times by 2007.
2. In the early 1990s, he became the founding treasurer of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, a critical institution defending Muslim personal law in post-Independence India.
3. His Urdu translation of the Quran gained popularity not only in India but also among Urdu-speaking communities abroad, marking a rare scholarly feat by a self-taught laborer from rural Maharashtra.
4. 🏆 In 2001, the Government of India awarded him the Padma Bhushan, the nation’s third highest civilian honor, explicitly recognizing his social reform efforts and religious scholarship.
5. Besides translation, he was known for his discourses on Islamic texts, including a notable 2011 YouTube video titled "Tauba Kyya Hai?" that continues to influence contemporary Islamic thought.
6. His death on 11 September 2007 marked the end of a life that bridged grassroots labor with intellectual religious work, leaving behind a legacy accessed by tens of thousands through multiple Quran editions.
7. ❓ How did Abdul Karim Parekh’s self-taught scholarship redefine the accessibility of Islamic texts for Urdu speakers who lacked formal theological training?
Awards & Honours
- 🏅Padma Bhushan · 2001
🔍 One thing most people don't know
Abdul Karim Parekh completed only primary schooling but self-taught himself to translate the Quran into Urdu, achieving over 40 reprints by 2007.
🖼️ Through the Years
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📅 The Journey
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🎥 Speeches & Recordings
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📖 Curated Sources
🌱 What changed because of them
Parekh’s translation of the Quran into Urdu made Islamic scripture accessible to millions of Urdu-speaking Muslims, especially those without formal religious education. His role as founding treasurer of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board helped institutionalize Muslim personal law advocacy in India during a tumultuous post-Independence period. The Padma Bhushan award in 2001 cemented his recognition within India’s social reform and religious scholarship circles.
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