For the Lincoln's Inn Society at Harvard Law School see Lincoln's Inn Society.

Coordinates: 51°31′01.65″N 00°06′52.48″W / 51.517125°N 0.1145778°W / 51.517125; -0.1145778

Library (left) and Benchers' rooms (right)

The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn. It is believed to be named for Lincoln de Lacy, the third Earl of Lincoln.

Lincoln's Inn is situated in Holborn, in the London Borough of Camden, just on the border with the City of London and the City of Westminster, and across the road from Royal Courts of Justice. The nearest tube station is Chancery Lane.

History[link]

During the 12th and 13th century, the law was taught in the City of London primarily by the clergy. During the 13th century two events happened which destroyed this form of legal education: first, a decree by Henry III of England on 2 December 1234 that no institutes of legal education could exist in the City of London,^[1] and secondly a papal bull that prohibited the clergy from teaching the common law, rather than canon law.^[2] As a result the system of legal education fell apart. The common lawyers migrated to the hamlet of Holborn, the nearest place to the law courts at Westminster Hall that was outside the City.^[2]

As with the other Inns of Court, the precise date of founding of Lincoln's Inn is unknown. The Inn can claim the oldest records - its "black books" documenting the minutes of the governing Council go back to 1422, and the earliest entries show that the Inn was at that point an organised and disciplined body.^[3] The third Earl of Lincoln had encouraged lawyers to move to Holborn, and they moved to Thavie's Inn, one of the Inns of Chancery, later expanding into Furnival's Inn as well.^[4] It is felt that Lincoln's Inn became a formally organised Inn of Court soon after the Earl's death in 1310.^[5] At some point before 1422, the greater part of "Lincoln's Inn", as they had become known, after the Earl, moved to the estate of Ralph Neville, the Bishop of Chichester, near Chancery Lane. They retained Thavie's and Furnival's Inn, using them as "training houses" for young lawyers, and fully purchased the properties in 1550 and 1547 respectively.^[6] In 1537 the land Lincoln's Inn sat on was sold by Richard Sampson, the then-Bishop, to a Bencher named William Suliard, and his son sold the land to Lincoln's Inn in 1580.^[7] The Inn became formally organised as a place of legal education thanks to a decree in 1464,which required a Reader to give lectures to the law students there.^[8]

During the 15th century the Inn was not a particularly prosperous one, and the Benchers, particularly John Fortescue, are credited with fixing this situation.^[9]

Structure and governance[link]

Lincoln's Inn had no constitution or fundamental form of governance, and legislation was divided into two types; statutes, passed by the Governors (see below) and ordinances made by the Society (all the Fellows of the Inn). A third method used was to have individual Fellows promise to fulfil a certain duty; the first known example is from 1435, and starts "Here folowen certaynes covenantes and promyses made to the feloweshippe of Lyncoll' Yne".^[10] The increase of the size of the Inn led to a loss of its partially democratic nature, first in 1494 when it was decided that only Benchers and Governors should have a voice in calling people to the Bar, and by the end of the sixteenth century Benchers were almost entirely in control.^[11]

Admissions were recorded in the black books and divided into two categories; Clerks (Clerici) admitted to Clerks' Commons and Fellows Socii admitted to Fellows' Commons. All entrants swore the same oath regardless of category, and some Fellows were permitted to dine in Clerks' Commons as it cost less, making it difficult for academics to sometimes distinguish between the two — indeed Walker, the editor of the Black Books, maintains that the two categories were one and the same. During the 15th century the Fellows began to be called Masters, and the gap between Masters and Clerks gradually grew, with an order in 1505 that no Master was to be found in Clerks' Commons unless studying a point of law there.^[12] By 1466 the Fellows were divided into Benchers, those at the Bar (ad barram, also known as utter barristers or simply barristers) and those not at the Bar (extra barram). By 1502 the extra barram Fellows were being referred to as "inner barristers", in contrast to the "utter" or "outer" barristers.^[13]

Benchers[link]

A Bencher, Benchsitter or (formally) Master of the Bench,^[14] is a member of Council, the governing body of the Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn. The term originally referred to one who sat on the benches in the main hall of the Inn which were used for dining and during moots, and the term originally had no significance. In Lincoln's Inn, the idea of a Bencher was believed to have begun far earlier than elsewhere; there are records of four Benchers being sworn in in 1440.^[15] William Holdsworth and the editor of the Black Books both concluded that Benchers were, from the earliest times, the governors of the Inn, unlike other Inns who started with Readers.^[16] A.W.B. Simpson, writing at a later date, decided based on the Black Books that the Benchers were not the original governing body, and that the Inn was instead ruled by Governors (or gubernatores), sometimes called Rulers, who led the Inn. The Governors were elected to serve a year-long term, with between four and six sitting at any one time.^[17]

The first record of Benchers comes from 1478 when, John Glynne was expelled from the Society for using "presumptious and unsuitable words" in front of the governors and "other fellows of the Bench", and a piece of legislation passed in 1489 was "ordained by the governors and other the worshipfuls of the Bench". By the late 15th century the ruling group were the Governors (who were always Benchers) with assistance and advice from the other "masters of the Bench", and occasional votes from the entire Society.^[18] The Benchers were still subordinate to the Governors, however; a note from 1505 shows the admission of two Benchers "to aid and advice for the good governing of the Inn, but not to vote". The practice of using Governors died out in 1572, and from 1584 the term was applied to Benchers, with the power of a Governor and a new Bencher being synonymous.^[19]

There are approximately 190 Benchers at the moment, with the body consisting of those members of the Inn elected to high judicial office, those who have sat as Queen's Counsel for six or seven years and some of the more distinguished "junior" barristers (those barristers who are not Queen's Counsel). There are also "additional benchers" — members of the Inn who have been successful in a profession other than the law, who have the rights of a normal bencher except that they cannot hold an office, such as Treasurer. In addition there are "honorary benchers", who hold all the rights of a Bencher except the right to vote and the right to hold an office. These are people of "sufficient distinction" who have been elected by the Inn, and includes people such as Margaret Thatcher, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

In common with the other Inns, Lincoln's Inn also has a "Royal Bencher" — a member of the Royal Family who has been elected a Bencher. The present Royal Bencher is Duke of Kent who was elected after the death of the previous incumbent Princess Margaret. In 1943, when she was elected as Royal Bencher, Queen Mary became the first female Bencher in any Inn.^[20]

Buildings and architectural points of note[link]

The Inn is situated on Chancery Lane, north of Inner and Middle Temples and south of Gray's Inn. The Inn is surrounded by a brick wall separating it from the street; this was first erected in 1562, and it is said that Ben Jonson did some of the brickwork.^[21] As well as the major buildings discussed below, the Inn consists of three squares; Old Square, Old Buildings and Hardwicke buildings, first built in 1683, New Square, sometimes known as Serle Court,^[22] finished in about 1697, and Stone Buildings, partly built in 1780 by Robert Taylor and finished in 1845.^[21]

New Square was originally named Serle's Court because it was built as a compromise between the Inn and Henry Serle over ownership of the land. A compromise was made in 1682, and Serle built eleven brick sets of chambers on three sides of the square between 1682 and 1693.^[23] Alterations were made in 1843, when the open area in the middle was replaced by gardens and lawns. Because of its difficult history of ownership, some bits of the Square are still freehold, with individuals owning floors or sections of floors within the buildings.^[24] The Lincoln's Inn Act 1860 was passed directly to allow the Inn to charge the various freeholders in the Square fees.^[25]

Stone Buildings was built between 1775 and 1780 using the designs of Robert Taylor, with the exception of No. 7, which was built in 1845.^[26] The design was originally meant to be part of a massive rebuilding of the entire Inn, but this was never completed.^[27] Stone Buildings were seriously damaged during The Blitz, but their external appearance remains much the same. No. 10 was originally provided by the Inn to strenghthen its ties with Chancery as the office of the Six Clerks of the Court of Chancery, with the Inn taking it over when the Clerks were abolished and the Court moved to the Royal Courts of Justice in 1882. It is currently used as the headquarters of the Inns of Court and City Yeomanry, part of the Territorial Army. Lincoln's Inn has maintained a corps of volunteers in times of war since 1585, when 95 members of the Inn made a pledge to protect Queen Elizabeth against Spain. George III gave the then-temporary unit the epithet "The Devil's Own", which remains attached to the Regiment to this day.^[24]

Old Square and Old Buildings were built between 1525 and 1609, initially running between numbers 1 and 26. Although 1 exists near the Gatehouse, the others now only run from 16 to 24, with some buildings having been merged to the point where the entrances for 25 and 26 now frame windows, not doorways. Hardwicke Buildings was built in the 1960s, and changed its name from Hale Court in the 1990s. The buildings of Lincoln's Inn in Old Square, New Square and Stone Buildings are normally divided into four or five floors of chambers, with residential flats on the top floor. The buildings are used both by barristers and solicitors and other professional bodies.^[24]

Old Hall[link]

The Old Hall dates from at least 1489, when it replaced the smaller "bishops hall". The Old Hall is 71 feet long and 32 feet wide, although little remains of the original size and shape; it was significantly altered in 1625, 1652, 1706 and 1819.^[28] a former librarian reported that it was "extensively remodelled" by Francis Bernasconi in 1800. This remodelling led to the covring of the oak beams with a curved plaster ceiling, "a most barbarous innovation".^[28] The weight of the plaster created the risk that the roof would collapse, and between 1924 and 1927 Sir John Simpson dismantled the entire hall, straightening warped timbers, removing the plaster, replacing any unserviceable sections and then putting the entire hall back together. It was reopened on 22 November 1928 by Queen Mary.^[29]

As well as its use for revels, moots and feasts, the Old Hall was also used as a court. The Master of the Rolls sat there between 1717 and 1724 while the Rolls Court was being rebuilt, and Lord Talbot used it as a court in 1733. From 1737 onwards it was used to house the Court of Chancery, a practice that ended with the opening of the Royal Courts of Justice.^[28] The Hall's most famous use as a court is in the start of Charles Dickens' Bleak House, which opens with “London. Michaelmas Term lately over, and the Lord Chancellor sitting in Lincoln's Inn Hall".^[29] It is now used for examinations, lectures and social functions.^[30]

Chapel[link]

The Chapel

The Gate House

The first mention of a Chapel in Lincoln's Inn comes from 1428. By the 17th century this had become too small, and discussions started about building a new one in 1608.^[31] The current Chapel was built between 1620 and 1623 by Inigo Jones, and was extensively rebuilt in 1797 and again in 1883. Other repairs took place in 1685, after the consultation of Christopher Wren, and again in 1915. The Chapel is built on a series of pillars, and has acted (sometimes simultaneously) as a Crypt, meeting place and place of recreation. For many years only Benchers were allowed to be buried in the Crypt, with the last one being interred on 15 May 1852. Before that, however, it was open to any member of servant of the society; in 1829 a former Preacher was interred, and in 1780 William Turner, described as Hatch-keeper and Washpot to this Honble. Society", was buried.^[32] The chapel has a bell said to date from 1596, although this is not considered likely. Traditionally, the bell would chime a curfew at 9pm, with a stroke for each year of the current Treasurer's age. The bell would also chime between 12:30 and 1:00 pm when a Bencher had died.^[33] Inside the chapel are six stained glass windows, three on each side, designed by the Van Linge family.^[34]

The chapel's first pipe organ was a Flight & Robson model installed in 1820.^[35] A substantial William Hill organ replaced it in 1856; a model designed at the peak of his skill, with thick lead and tin pipes,^[36] a set of pedals, and three manuals.^[35] During its service years it was rebuilt nine times, the final overhaul carried out in 1969. In the 2000s the organ, increasingly unreliable, was seen to have little unaltered initial material, with little hope of returning it to original condition, and it was replaced with a Kenneth Tickell model, the new organ installed during 2009–2010.^[35]

Great Hall[link]

The Great Hall, or New Hall, was constructed during the 19th century. The Inn's membership had grown to the point where the Old Hall was too small for meetings, and so the Benchers decided to construct a new Hall, also containing sizable rooms for their use, and a Library. The new building was designed by Philip Hardwick, with the foundation stone laid on 20 April 1843 by James Lewis Knight-Bruce, the Treasurer.^[37] The building was completed by 1845, and opened by Queen Victoria on 30 October.^[30] The Hall is 120 feet long, 45 feet wide, and 62 feet high, much larger than the Old Hall.^[38] The Great Hall is used for the call to the Bar, as a dining place and for concerts arranged through the Bar Musical Society.^[30]

Library[link]

The Library was first mentioned in 1471, and originally existed in a building next to the Old Hall before being moved to a set of chambers at No. 2 Stone Buildings in 1787.^[39] The current Library was built as part of the complex containing the Great Hall, and was finished in 1845; at this point it was 80 feet long, 40 feet wide and 44 feet high.^[40] It was extended in 1872 by George Gilbert Scott.^[41]

The Library contains a large collection of rare books, including the Hale Manuscripts, the complete collection of Sir Matthew Hale, which he left to the Inn on his death in 1676. The Library also contains over 1,000 other rare manuscripts, and approximately 2,000 pamphlets.^[39] The total collection of the Library, including textbooks and practitioners works, is approximately 150,000 volumes. The collection also includes a complete set of Parliamentary records.^[42] The Library is open to all students and barristers of Lincoln's Inn, as well as outside scholars and solicitors by application.^[43]

Gatehouse[link]

The Gatehouse is the oldest existing part of the Inn, and was built between 1518 and 1521.^[44] The Gatehouse was mainly built thanks to the efforts of Sir Thomas Lovell, the Treasurer at the time, who provided at least a third of the funds and oversaw the construction itself — as a result, his coat of arms hang on the gate, along with those of the Earl of Lincoln and Henry VIII (the king at the time).^[45] The Gatehouse is a large tower four stories high and features diagonal rows of darker bricks, along with a set of oak gates that date from 1564. The Gatehouse was restored in 1695 and again between 1967 and 1969 — the arms of the Treasurers for those years (Lord Upjohn, John Hawles and Princess Margaret) were added to the inwards side of the Gatehouse itself.^[46] Minor repairs also took place in 1815, when the three Coats of Arms were repaired and cleaned.^[47]

Coat of arms[link]

For many years the Inn used the Arms of the Earl of Lincoln as their own; in blazon, a "lion rampant purpure in a field or", or a purple lion on a gold field. In around 1699 Sir Richard Holford discovered the Inn's own Coat of Arms on a manuscript, granted to them in 1516. The Arms are "azure seme de fer moline or, on a dexter canton or a lion rampant purpure". Following validation using some heraldry books, the Arms were placed first in the council chamber and then in the library. Since then they have been used continuously in Lincoln's Inn.^[48]

Notable members[link]

• List of members of Lincoln's Inn

Preachers of Lincoln's Inn[link]

The office of Preacher of Lincoln's Inn or Preacher to Lincoln's Inn is a clerical office in the Church of England.^[49] Past incumbents include:

• John Donne
• Edward Maltby
• Henry Wace^[50]
• William Warburton
• Derek Watson

Other organisations based in the Inn[link]

68 Signal Squadron

• The volunteer militia, later formalised (1908) within the Territorial Army, and today forming the headquarters of 68 Signal Squadron.

See also[link]

• Lincoln's Inn Fields

References[link]

Bibliography[link]

• Douthwaite, William Ralph (1886). Gray's Inn, Its History & Associations. Reeves and Turner. OCLC 2578698. 
• Draper, Warwick (1906). "The Watts Fresco in Lincoln's Inn". The Burlington Magazine for Connoisseurs 9 (37). ISSN 0951-0788. 
• Loftie, W J (1895). The Inns of Court and Chancery. New York: Macmillan & co.. OCLC 592845. 
• Pearce, Robert Richard (1848). History of the Inns of Court and Chancery: With Notices of Their Ancient Discipline, Rules, Orders, and Customs, Readings, Moots, Masques, Revels, and Entertainments. R. Bentley. OCLC 16803021. 
• Pulling, Alexander (1884). The Order of the Coif. William Clows & Sons Ltd. OCLC 2049459. 
• Ringrose, Hyacinthe (1909). The Inns of Court An Historical Description. Oxford: R.L. Williams. OCLC 60732875. 
• Simpson, A.W.B. (1970). "The Early Constitution of the Inns of Court". Cambridge Law Journal (Cambridge University Press) 34 (1). ISSN 0008-1973. 
• Spilsbury, William Holden (1850). Lincoln's inn; its ancient and modern buildings: with an account of the library. W. Pickering. OCLC 316910934. 
• Stanford, Edward (1860). Stanford's new London guide. Stanford Edward, ltd. OCLC 60205994. 
• Watt, Francis; Dunbar Plunket Barton, Charles Benham (1928). The Story of the Inns of Court. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. OCLC 77565485. 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Lincoln's Inn

• Official website

Ernest Austin (31 December 1874 – 24 July 1947) was an English composer.

Biography[link]

He started composing in 1907 after a career in business, and was self-taught. He was the brother of baritone and composer Frederic Austin (1878–1951). {problem requires resolution: Entry for his brother Frederic Austin specifies his years of birth and death as 1872 - 1952.}

Little-remembered today (he does not even have an entry in the comprehensive New Grove dictionary),^[1] his orchestral music enjoyed some success in its own time, including performances at the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts. He was a prolific composer of songs, covering a wide spectrum of mood, from serious Shakespearean settings to ballads of both sentimental and robust natures. He also made piano transcriptions of the work of other composers, a particularly common practice of the time.

	The Pilgrim's Progress by Ernest Austin noicon Part of 12th movement: trumpet fanfares on the organ and choir singing. Played by Kevin Bowyer
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

His best-known work is probably The Pilgrim's Progress, a 12-section narrative tone poem setting for solo organ of the work by John Bunyan; it takes about 2¾ hours to perform. There is a text which explains what is happening at each stage of the music which can be read by a narrator, and in the 12th movement, there are optional parts for choir (SSATTB), bells, and solo violin.^[2] It was revived in November 1988 at St. Michael's, Cornhill, London, by organist Kevin Bowyer, who continues to perform it on occasion.^[3][4]

Selected works[link]

Organ[link]

• The Pilgrim's Progress, Op.41; 12-movement narrative tone poem in 4 parts, with optional choir (SSATTB), bells, solo violin and narrator (1912–1920).

Chamber[link]

• 5 Piano Trios, in part based on traditional melodies (before 1914)
• In Field and Forest, for flute, French horn, and piano
• Lyric Sonata, for violin and piano

Orchestra[link]

• Variations on The Vicar of Bray, Op.35, for string orchestra (1910, played at the Proms)
• Stella Mary Dances, Op.58, orchestral suite (1918, played at the Proms)
• Sweet Night, for flute, clarinet, cornet, and string orchestra
• Symphony

Piano[link]

• Suites: 6 Dream Themes; 4 English Pastorals; To Music (7 movements); Under Blue Skies; around 25 Tone Stanzas (1908–1924)
• 2 books of Preludes, Op.56
• Indian Pipe Dance (1921)
• 14 Sonatinas for children, on English folk-songs
• Through the Eyes of Youth
• Sonatas
• Transcriptions of songs, Sevillana, and Mot d'Amour, by Edward Elgar (1926)

Songs[link]

• Song-cycles: Songs from the Highway; A Sheaf of Songs (5)
• Single songs: Aspiration; Fountain Song; I Made Thee Mine; The Infinite Voice; Life; Sigh No More Ladies; April Wears a Smiling Face; Tony the Turtle; Cradle Song; Sea Dogs; Sleep Little Rose; Sweet Night; The Woodland Tailor; A Song of Folly; Thoughts (vocal setting of Brahms's waltz, op.39 no.15)

Choral[link]

• With orchestra: Hymn of Apollo; Ode to a Grecian Urn
• Female voices: The Dream Maker
• Male voices: Home on the Range (cowboy song)
• Unison songs for children

Books[link]

• The Story of the Art of Music Printing (1913)
• The Fairyland of Music, described as 'a fairy tale with music' (1922)

Sources[link]

• Philip L. Scowcroft: British Light Music Composers (ISBN 0903413884) [1]

1. ^ As of 2007-06-10; http://www.grovemusic.com/
2. ^ Kevin Bowyer: 20th Century European Organ Music: A Toast, in The IAO Millennium Book, ed. P. Hale, ISBN 0-9538711-0-X
3. ^ Kevin Bowyer's performance of 'The Pilgrim's Progress' in Glasgow, 16 June 2007
4. ^ Glasgow International Organ Festival: he performed the complete Pilgrim's Progress at the 2007 festival

Dame Anne Elizabeth Owers, Mrs. Cook, née Spark, DBE (born 23 June 1947) was Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons. Owers is the fifth holder of the post, and was appointed in August 2001, succeeding David Ramsbotham. Her appointment was renewed in June 2006 and in March 2008.^[1]

Prior to this post she was Director of JUSTICE, the UK-based human rights and law reform organisation.^[2]

Owers was educated at Washington Grammar School, County Durham, and at Girton College, Cambridge. On graduating she went to Zambia to teach and to carry out research into African history. While taking time out to bring up her three children, Owers continued to undertake research and voluntary advice and race relations work.^[3]

In June 2008, she was appointed Chair of Christian Aid, in succession to John Gladwin.^[4] She opposed the Government's former proposal to build "Titan jails".^[5]

Owers was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2000 for her work in human rights^[6] and Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours.^[7][8]

In 2010, Owers was appointed to the position of Chair of Clinks, a charity that supports the work of the voluntary and community sector working with offenders and their families. She is also a Trustee of The Butler Trust.^[9] Appointed head of the IPCC (Independent Police Complaints Commission) in March 2012.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Expectations of HM Prison Inspectorate (2006 edition) online

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Israr Ahmed (Urdu: اسرار احمد; April 26, 1932 – April 14, 2010) was a Pakistani Islamic theologian^[1] followed particularly in South Asia and also among the South Asian diaspora in the Middle East, Western Europe, and North America.^[2] Born in Hissar, (today's Haryana) in India, the second son of a government servant, he is the founder of the Tanzeem-e-islami, an off-shoot of the Jamaat-e-Islami.He has spent more than 50 years preaching Quraan.He hosted a daily show on Peace TV, a 24 hours Islamic channel broadcast internationally, and until recently^[when?] on ARY Qtv.

Early life and education[link]

Ahmad was born on April 26, 1932 in Hisar (a district of East Punjab, now a part of Haryana) in India, the second son of a government servant. He graduated from King Edward Medical College (Lahore) in 1954 and later received his Master's degree in Islamic Studies from the University of Karachi in 1965. He came under the influence of 'Abul Ala Maududi' as a young student, worked briefly for Muslim Student's Federation in the Independence Movement and, following the creation of Pakistan in 1947, for the Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba and then for the Jamaat-e-Islami. Ahmad resigned from the Jama`at in April 1957 because of its involvement in the electoral politics, which he believed was irreconcilable with the revolutionary methodology adopted by the Jama'at in the pre-1947 period.^[2]

Religious work[link]

While still a student and an activist of the Islami Jami`yat-e-Talaba, Ahmad became a Mudarris (or teacher) of the Qur'an. Even after resigning from Jama`at, he continued to give Quranic lectures in different cities of Pakistan, and especially after 1965 spent a great deal of time studying the Quran.He also worked with the tablighi jamaat but then left the organization due to some methodological differences.

In 1967 Ahmad wrote “Islamic Renaissance: The Real Task Ahead”, a tract explaining his basic belief. This was that a rebirth of Islam would be possible only by revitalizing iman (faith) among the Muslims – particularly educated Muslims – and the propagation of the Qur'anic teachings in contemporary idiom and at the highest level of scholarship is necessary to revitalize iman. This undertaking would remove the existing dichotomy between modern physical and social sciences on the one hand, and Islamic revealed knowledge on the other.

In 1971 Ahmad gave up his medical practice to devote himself full time to the Islamic revival. In 1972 he established or helped establish the Markazi Anjuman Khuddam-ul-Qur'an Lahore, Tanzeem-e-Islami was founded in 1975, and Tahreek-e-Khilafat Pakistan was launched in 1991.

Ahmad first appeared on Pakistan Television in 1978 in a program called Al-Kitab; this was followed by other programs, known as Alif Lam Meem, Rasool-e-Kamil, Umm-ul-Kitab and the most popular of all religious programs in the history of Pakistan Television, the Al-Huda, which made him a household name throughout the country.^{[citation needed]} His television lectures generally focused on the revitalization of the Islamic faith through studies of the Quran. Ahmad also criticized modern democracy and the electoral system and argued that the head of an Islamic state can reject the majority decisions of an elected assembly.^[3] Although he did not like to receive it personally, Ahmad was awarded Sitara-i-Imtiaz in 1981. He has to his credit over 60 Urdu books on topics related to Islam and Pakistan, 9 of which have been translated into English and other languages. in 21st century Ahmad came on peace TV and taught Islam to people so they could understand Islam.

Health[link]

Ahmed relinquished the leadership of Tanzeem-e-Islami in October 2002 on grounds of bad health and Hafiz Aakif Saeed is the present Ameer of the Tanzeem to whom all rufaqaa of Tanzeem renewed their pledge of Baiyah.

Influences[link]

Supporters describe his vision of Islam as having been synthesized from the diverse sources. He has also acknowledged the "deep influence" of Shah Waliullah Dehlavi, the 18th century Indian Islamic leader, anti-colonial activist, jurist, and scholar.^[4] Ahmed followed the thinking of Maulana Hamiduddin Farahi and Maulana Amin Ahsan Islahi, concerning what his followers believe is the "internal coherence of and the principles of deep reflection in the Qur'an". Furthermore, Ahmed followed Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi in regards to what he believes is the "dynamic and revolutionary conception of Islam."

"In the context of Qur'anic exegesis and understanding, Ahmed was a firm traditionalist of the genre of Maulana Mehmood Hassan Deobandi and Allama Shabbir Ahmad Usmani; yet he presented Qur'anic teachings in a scientific and enlightened way ..."^[2] Ahmed believed in what he called “Islamic revolutionary thought,” which consists of the idea that Islam – the teachings of the Qur'an and the Sunnah – must be implemented in the social, cultural, juristic, political, and economic spheres of life. In this he is said to follow Mohammad Rafiuddin and Muhammad Iqbal. The first attempt towards the actualization of this concept was reportedly made by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad through his short-lived party, the Hizbullah. Another attempt was made by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi through his Jamaat-e-Islami party. Although the Jamaat-e-Islami has reached some influence, Ahmed resigned from the party in 1956 when it entered the electoral process and believed that such an involvement led to "degeneration from a pure Islamic revolutionary party to a mere political one".

Tanzeem-e-Islami[link]

Originally a member of Jamaat-e-Islami, Ahmed became disappointed with its electoral activity, "significant policy matters", and what he saw as the "lack of effort to create an Islamic renaissance through the revolutionary process." He and some other individuals resigned from JI and in 1956 founded the nucleus of Tanzeem-e-Islami, an attempt to create a "disciplined organization." "A resolution was passed which subsequently became the Mission Statement of Tanzeem-e-Islami."^[2]

Along with his work to revive "the Qur'an-centered Islamic perennial philosophy and world-view" Ahmed aimed with his party to "reform the society in a practical way with the ultimate objective of establishing a true Islamic State, or the System of Khilafah".

Caliphate[link]

According to the Tanzeem-e-Islami website Ahmed and the party believe "the spiritual and intellectual center of the Muslim world has shifted from the Arab world to the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent" and "conditions are much more congenial for the establishment of Khilafah in Pakistan" than in other Muslim countries.^[5]

Hizb ut-Tahrir[link]

According to Tanzeem-e-Islami's FAQ, while both Hizb ut-Tahrir and Tanzeem-e-Islami share belief in reviving the Caliphate as a means of implementing Islam in all spheres of life, Tanzeem-e-Islami does not believe in involvement in electoral politics, armed struggle, coup d'état to establish a caliphate, and has no set plan of detailed workings for the future Caliphate. Tanzeem-e-Islami emphasizes that iman (faith) among Muslims must be revived in "a significant portion of the Muslim society" before there can be an Islamic revival.^[5]

Abul Ala Maududi[link]

While Ahmed "considers himself a product" of the teachings of "comprehensive and holistic concept of the Islamic obligations" of Abul Ala Maududi, he opposes Jamaat-e-Islami's "plunge" into "the arena of power politics," which he considered to have been "disastrous."^[5]

Danger of foreign powers[link]

Nov 19, 2007 Ahmed warned that "the NATO forces are waiting on the western front to move into Pakistan and may deprive the country of its nuclear assets while on the eastern border India is ready to stage an action replay of 1971 events and has alerted its armed forces to intervene in to check threats to peace in the region".^{[citation needed]}

Criticism and controversy[link]

Canada's National Post newspaper reported in 2006 that, according to Ahmad:

"Islam's renaissance will begin in Pakistan... because the Arab world is living under subjugation. Only the Pakistan region has the potential for standing up against the nefarious designs of the global power-brokers and to resist the rising tides of the Jewish/Zionist hegemony.^[6]

Asia Times reports that in September 1995 Ahmed told the annual convention of the Islamic Society of North America that:

The process of the revival of Islam in different parts of the world is real. A final showdown between the Muslim world and the non-Muslim world, which has been captured by the Jews, would soon take place. The Gulf War was just a rehearsal for the coming conflict.

He appealed to the Muslims of the world, including those in the US, to prepare themselves for the coming conflict."^[7]

On July 27, 2007, VisionTV, a Canadian multi-faith religious television channel, aired an apology for broadcasting lectures by Mr. Ahmed. The channel had taken Ahmed off the air earlier that week for his derogatory comments about Jews. In reply, Ahmed "strongly refuted the impression that he hated the Jews or he held anti-Semitic views," according to the National Post, but a "written statement, issued by his personal secretary in Lahore, went on to explain Mr. Ahmad's belief that the Holocaust was `Divine punishment` and that Jews would one day be `exterminated.`"^[8]

The Post gave several quotes about Jews by Ahmed including

"It is apparent to any careful observer that the Jews have continued to suffer the floggings of Divine punishment in the present century – the Holocaust during the Second World War being a case in point.

[T]he conflict between the Jews and Muslims is going to result, ultimately, in the total extermination of the former, according to the Divine law of 'annihilation of the worse.'"^[8]

Death and funeral[link]

Ahmed died^[9] of a cardiac arrest at his home in Lahore on the morning of 14 April 2010 between 3:00 and 3:30 a.m. According to his son, his health deteriorated at around 1:30 a.m. with pain in the back, he was a long time heart patient.^[10]

His funeral (Namaz-e-Janazah) was held after the Asr (afternoon) prayers at Central Model-town Park (near Barkat Market) in the city of Lahore. It is reported that around twenty thousand people attended his funeral.^{[citation needed]}

See also[link]

• Contemporary Islamic philosophy
• Islamism

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Israr Ahmed

• Official website
• Official website of Quran Academy