Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman (November 4, 1915 – August 2, 1973) was a Malaysian politician from the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO). He held several Malaysian ministerial posts and was appointed as the second Deputy Prime Minister in 1970 by then Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak. Three years later, Tun Dr Ismail died in office due to a heart attack. Ismail has been called "the man who saved Malaysia" for his actions as Home Minister after the May 13 Incident of racial rioting in 1969.^[1]

Early life[link]

Born in Johor Bahru to Dato' Abdul Rahman bin Yassin, Ismail was part of a well-connected and influential family in Johor. His maternal grandfather was Haji Mohamed Salleh bin Abdullah, an ethnic Chinese convert to Islam and former State Treasurer of Johor. After Zahara binte Abu Bakar, Abdul Rahman's wife and Ismail's mother, died in 1936, Abdul Rahman married Kamariah, the sister of Dato Onn Ja'afar, the Menteri Besar (Chief Minister) of Johor. The remarriage was encouraged by Sultan Ibrahim of Johor, who sought to unite the Johor aristocracy by blood. Abdul Rahman himself almost became Menteri Besar according to Ismail, but failed because he "refused to indulge in intrigues". Abdul Rahman later went on to become the first President of the Dewan Negara (Senate) of the Parliament of Malaysia, and also the first chairman of Malayan Banking.^[2]

Education[link]

Ismail was raised by his maternal grandmother due to his mother's various illnesses, and received his primary education at Sekolah Bukit Zaharah, although his education was interrupted by frequent trips to see distant relatives. Ismail's initial friends were predominantly Malay, but when he continued his education at the English College of Johor Bahru, Ismail gravitated to non-Malays due to his interest in the opposite sex — Chinese girls often being given more freedom to mingle than their Malay counterparts in those days. Ismail later said: "I am convinced that this early mingling with the other races during the most impressionable stage of my life had a lot to do with my non-racial outlook." Ismail forged close friendships with the daughters of Cheah Tiang Earn, a friend of his father's. Eileen and Joyce Chuah would later both marry into the influential Kuok family, which Ismail got to know through them. Ismail also befriended the children of Joseph Chako Puthucheary, who would later become important players in Malaysian and Singaporean politics.^[2]

Ismail's father believed strongly in the benefits of education, unlike many Malays of the time, and ensured his children received the best education possible. Two of his sons became lawyers and another an economist. In 1939, the British General Adviser W.E. Pepys lamented that "the only Johore Malay who has got a university degree is Encik(Mr.) Suleiman bin Abdul Rahman, the son of Dato Abdul Rahman, State Treasurer, Johore."^[2] Ismail himself went on to obtain a degree at the King Edward VII College of Medicine in Singapore. In 1945, he became the first Malay to obtain a MBBS from University of Melbourne, Australia. Ismail's son later said that his education in Australia greatly impacted his worldview: "He was on his own and a member of a minority there. He didn’t have other Malays to prop him up and he had a sense of loneliness. He felt that he was treated as an equal and that this was the way he would want to treat other people as well."^[3]

Early career[link]

In 1946, the British formed the Malayan Union, a polity seen as infringing on the special position of the Malays and the Malay Rulers. Ismail's family was heavily involved in the anti-Malayan Union campaign led by the United Malays National Organization (UMNO). After the successful campaign led to the replacement of the Malayan Union with the Federation of Malaya, Ismail was appointed to the Johor state legislative assembly by Dato' Onn Ja'afar, the Chief Minister of Johor. Ismail was also offered a seat on the Federal Legislative Council by Onn, but on the condition that Ismail join UMNO. Ismail refused, insisting that he would only join UMNO if it committed itself to fighting for Malayan independence.^[4] In the Johor state legislative assembly, his very first action was to declare his opposition to the UMNO-supported federation, which he considered in contravention of the Johor state constitution.^[2]

Ismail focused on his private practice, founding the Tawakkal (Trust in God) Clinic which he ran from 1947 to 1953. During this period, Ismail co-founded the Malay Graduates' Association, a political discussion group for intellectuals. Ismail observed:

Marriage and personal life[link]

In 1950, Ismail married Norashikin Mohd Seth (nicknamed Neno) in an arranged marriage. On passing through Kuala Lumpur on the way to their honeymoon in Penang, they met Tunku Abdul Rahman, who would later succeed Dato Onn as President of UMNO. Ismail later recounted that the Tunku had invited him and his new bride to the Kuala Lumpur Flying Club to dance, but upon finding that they were newlyweds "bundled us off telling us that we had no business being on the dance floor so late when we should be in bed enjoying our honeymoon."^[2] The Tunku later cited the support of Ismail and the Malay Graduates Association as the major impetus for his decision to become President, while Ismail in turn claimed he decided to join UMNO only after the Tunku became President in 1951.^[4]

Ismail would have six children with Neno: Tawfik (born 1951), Zailah (born 1953), Badariah, Tarmizi (born 1960), Zamakhshari (born 1964) and Ariff (born 1967).^[2]

Pre-independence[link]

Ismail entered Malaysian politics in 1951 when he was elected as vice president of the United Malays National Organization (UMNO). He had earlier been the nominee of the Malay Graduates Association to the UMNO Central Executive Committee. Initially, Ismail and his brother Suleiman, also an UMNO member, mainly clashed with Dato Onn, who had left UMNO to form the Independence of Malaya Party (IMP) after UMNO refused to open membership to non-Malays. Ismail was very critical of Onn, who had made "very inflammatory communal speeches attacking the Chinese". Suleiman later defeated Onn in the first Malayan general election, and was lauded as a "giant-killer" for his landslide victory against Onn, who had been the favourite.^[2]

Ismail was also instrumental in gaining a greater amount of autonomy for the local government, when in 1954 the Alliance government (a coalition of UMNO and the Malayan Chinese Association or MCA) decided to boycott the British-backed local elections. When the British High Commissioner Donald MacGillivray met with the Tunku, Ismail, and the MCA's representative of H. S. Lee, he accused them of playing into the hands of the Malayan Communist Party, which was waging an armed insurgency against the British. The source of the dispute was that the British High Commissioner had been given the discretion to nominate six seats, in addition to those contested in the elections. Ismail proposed a compromise: the Alliance would support the elections, but only if the High Commissioner would consult with the party that won the elections before making his appointments. MacGillivray initially refused, but after finding public opinion against him, backed down.^[4]

Later, Ismail was part of the Malayan government delegation sent to London to negotiate terms for independence from the British. In the Federal Legislative Council, he was also a strong proponent of the controversial Razak Report. Outside the Council, many Chinese were upset about the lack of provisions for vernacular education, while within the Council, Malay members from UMNO condemned the Report for not making Malay the sole medium of instruction. Ismail accused the report's opponents in the Council of making "no considerations for the Chinese and Indians who are already in this country", and acting in an imperialistic manner. If the non-Malays accepted Malaya's status as a Malay country and that the national language was Malay, he argued, there was no reason to further suppress them. The Razak Report eventually became law, when the Council approved it as the Education Ordinance of 1957.^[4]

Ismail analysed the Malay distrust of the Chinese as such:

In Ismail's view, it was imperative that "if the Chinese — the real political problem since the other races were not dominant — were to be persuaded into accepting Malay as the national language, they should be granted citizenship as a quid pro quo" — an early expression of what would later be referred to as the Malaysian social contract.^[2]

Independent Malaya[link]

After independence in 1957, Ismail was appointed as Malaya and Malaysia's first ambassador to the United States of America, as well as the United Nations — two posts to be held concurrently by him from 1957 till 1959. When Ismail led the independent Malayan delegation to the General Assembly, he carried the traditional Malay dagger (kris) — according to him, the first time a weapon of any kind had been brought into the assembly. At the UN, Ismail developed a strongly held view that Malayan foreign policy had to keep "an independent line, by which I mean that our stand on international problems should not be influenced by the policies of other countries, big or small".^[5] While serving in the United States and at the United Nations, Ismail wrote personal notes to the Prime Minister, which were recently compiled and published in a book titled "Malaya's First Year At The UN". Ismail remained involved in local politics, however, and pressed for the Alliance coalition of UMNO, the MCA and the Malayan Indian Congress (MIC) to merge into one multi-racial party, instead of remaining as a coalition comprising three mono-racial parties.^[6]

Upon returning to Malaya in 1959, he was appointed as external affairs minister. The following year, a controversy arose when the Tunku stated that Malaya would eventually have to recognise the communist People's Republic of China. This was, in the Tunku's words, "a sudden change in our policy towards Communist China" that had been influenced by private talks between the Tunku and French President Charles de Gaulle. Ismail was outraged by this decision, which had been taken without consultation with him, and directly contradicted Ismail's stated policy of refusing to recognise the People's Republic of China as long as they backed the Malayan Communist Party, which had waged an armed insurgency against the government. Ismail threatened to resign, and apparently attempted to do so on four separate occasions. The situation was defused by the Tunku refusing to see Ismail, who eventually calmed down and put the incident behind him, behaving "as if nothing had happened."^[5]

Ismail was later persuaded by his brothers not to quit, but to instead transfer to a different ministry. He was then made the new internal security minister, a post which had been specifically created for him. In 1962, he was appointed to the portfolio of home affairs as well. In these roles, Ismail was in charge of detaining people under the controversial Internal Security Act (ISA), which permits detention without trial. After resigning in 1967, Ismail expressed amazement that he was not "the most hated man in Malaya" for his actions. Although many were critical of the ISA, Ismail believed it was necessary for public order, stating that "Abuse of the Act can be prevented by vigilant public opinion via elections, a free Press and above all the Parliament."^[5]

Malaysia[link]

In 1963, Malaya merged with the former British colonies of Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak to form Malaysia. Ismail retained his cabinet positions in the new polity. During this period, despite no longer being in charge of external affairs, Ismail expressed strong support for an "Association of Southeast Asia", telling the media that "We look forward to a regional association embracing Thailand, Burma, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam." This proposal eventually became the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).^[5]

Ismail also presented Malaysia's case to the United Nations when Indonesia launched its armed "Confrontation" against the new polity, charging it with being the tool of neo-colonialists. Ismail managed to sneak a number of weapons captured from Indonesian military personnel into a meeting of the UN Security Council, greatly upsetting the Council's President, who asked him to remove them. Later, Ismail was a critic of Lee Kuan Yew, the Singaporean Prime Minister, for his attempt to de-emphasise race in Malaysian politics through the establishment of a non-racial political coalition, the Malaysian Solidarity Council (MSC). The resulting political controversy led to Singapore's separation from Malaysia; however, Ismail, like Toh Chin Chye, expressed his belief that Singapore and Malaysia would eventually merge once more, stating: "It is better to wait for this to come because if they do not do so they will sink together instead of coming together."^[6]

In 1966, Ismail became the first recipient of the First Class of the Darjah Yang Mulia Setia Mahkota Malaysia (The Most Esteemed Order of the Crown of Malaysia), entitling him to the title of Tun and the post-nominal SSM. Ismail resigned from his government posts in 1967, citing his poor health. A heart specialist had previously told him to retire from politics due to Ismail being "more sensitive to personality stresses than most people" — advice Ismail said he would have ignored, had it not been for his five young children. The Tunku accepted Ismail's resignation, noting that he had previously forced Ismail's brother, Suleiman, to continue working in public service, with fatal results when Suleiman suddenly died.^[6] After retiring from politics, Ismail went on to head the Guthrie Group of Companies, where he was paid three times the amount earned by a cabinet minister.^[7]

May 13[link]

In the 1969 general election, the Alliance suffered substantial losses. The MCA, which was hardest hit, decided to withdraw from the government as they felt they were no longer representative of the Chinese community. Ismail was very critical of this decision, and attempted to persuade the MCA President, Tan Siew Sin, to change his mind. Ismail warned that "this decision if not revoked would contribute to rioting and chaos in the country". On May 13, after several controversial victory rallies were held by the victorious opposition, racial riots broke out in the federal capital, Kuala Lumpur. Ismail's daughter later said that her father "remained calm, but took out his pistol, put it into his pocket, and went out with my mother to dinner". On the morning of May 14, a police escort was dispatched by Tun Abdul Razak, the Deputy Prime Minister, to escort Ismail from his home. Ismail was persuaded to rejoin the government as home affairs minister.^[8]

The Tunku arranged a meeting of several of his top aides, including Ismail. At the meeting, Tun Abdul Razak expressed support for declaring martial law, but was dissuaded by General Ibrahim Ismail, who told him that "I cannot provide any guarantee (that I will) be able to hold back the members of the armed forces who might take over control of the government." On May 15, a state of emergency was declared and Parliament was suspended in favour of the National Operations Council (NOC), a body of top government officials. That day, Ismail announced to the media that "Democracy is dead in this country. It died at the hands of the opposition parties who triggered off the event leading to this violence." Privately, Ismail accused the opposition parties of playing "communal politics", by using the Islamic party, PAS, to appeal to the extremist Malays, and using the ostensibly multiracial parties such as the Democratic Action Party and Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia to appeal to the extremist Chinese. "Since the Alliance's policy is based on compromise," he said, "it could not therefore please all the Malays or all the Chinese but could only please the moderate Malays and the understanding Chinese." Ismail blamed the MCA as well, telling a friend that "it was with this tension, with this irresponsible decision by the MCA that the riot started".^[8]

Tun Abdul Razak was initially interested in the possibility of a benevolent dictatorship, but was reportedly dissuaded by Ismail, who wanted to restore power to Parliament as soon as possible. Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, future Prime Minister and then an aide to the NOC, later recalled that Tun Abdul Razak often took pains to accommodate Ismail's views, extending meetings whenever there was a clash of opinions so as to satisfy Ismail.^[8]

Ismail's reputation for fairness but uncompromising toughness — at one point, he declared he would arrest his own mother if she had broken the law — has been cited by a number of top officials as greatly contributing to stability in the wake of the riots.^[8] During this period, several Malay "ultras" such as Mahathir bin Mohamad and Musa Hitam called for the resignation of the Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman. Mahathir penned an open letter to the Tunku, accusing him of "giving the Chinese what they demand ... you have given them too much face." Soon, students at higher educational institutions across the country began to hold mass demonstrations, calling for the Tunku to step down in favour of a leader who would restore "Malay sovereignty". Sporadic rioting, believed to have been instigated by the Tunku's opponents, broke out. The Tunku responded by forcing Mahathir and Musa out of UMNO, while Ismail as Home Affairs Minister issued a statement: "These ultras believe in the wild and fantastic theory of absolute dominion by one race over the other communities, regardless of the Constitution. ... Polarisation has taken place in Malaysian politics and the extreme racialists among the ruling party are making a desperate bid to topple the present leadership."^[9]

At the time, some suggested that Tun Abdul Razak was a power-hungry ultra, seeking to displace the Tunku as Prime Minister. Although this was denied by both the Tunku and Abdul Razak, there was great concern among non-Malays as to how the NOC's policy would affect them, as the NOC was chaired by Abdul Razak and not the Tunku. Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, later finance minister, cited Ismail as a major factor in increasing public confidence in the government, stating: "The Chinese did not have much confidence in Razak, but they did in Ismail. Razak was always associated with Malay and rural affairs, et cetera. Ismail was a principled man — and was seen that way by the different races. He was the Rock of Gibraltar. Once he decided on something you could be sure that he had gone through the relevant details and studied them. What is confidence unless it is based on the people’s belief in the leader?"^[8]

Deputy Prime Minister[link]

In 1970, he was appointed as the second Deputy Prime Minister, replacing Tun Abdul Razak, who had been elevated to Prime Minister following the resignation of Tunku Abdul Rahman. Shortly before, Ismail had become privy to the secret that Abdul Razak was suffering from leukaemia. Only Razak's doctors, Razak and Ismail knew of Razak's health problems, with Razak often using the pretext of paying Ismail a visit at his home in order to be examined by doctors at a hidden building near Ismail's house. Not long after, Ismail himself discovered a lump in his neck while shaving — the lump was later confirmed to be cancerous. As a result, many within Ismail's family urged him to retire again. However, Ismail considered it his duty to assist Abdul Razak as Deputy Prime Minister, and thus refused to resign, delaying the treatment for his neck cancer and refusing an operation on his heart valves in order to continue working.^[7]

Around July 1973, Ismail suffered three heart attacks over the course of two weeks — a secret he kept from his wife, who was expecting. Ismail told a friend that he planned to resign after Tun Abdul Razak returned from Ottawa in Canada, where he was attending the Commonwealth summit — Ismail had promised to serve as acting Prime Minister while Razak was away. Ismail was also reportedly worried about Razak's political plans, as he intended to rehabilitate Mahathir — a move opposed by Ismail, who preferred Musa Hitam to Mahathir.^[10]

Death[link]

Eventually, fearing his impending death might keep him from providing for his family, Ismail decided to have his wife's pregnancy terminated. Shortly after, she underwent a tubal ligation. On August 2, Ismail attended the silver jubilee celebrations of the Peninsular Malaysia Malay Students Foundation (Gabungan Pelajar-pelajar Melayu Semenanjung or GPMS). After a sudden explosion sound effect, Ismail's daughter (who was watching the event live on television) noticed he began to sweat profusely. Nevertheless, after he visited his wife, who was recovering from the ligation, at the hospital as had been planned. After having his dinner, Ismail retired to his study. Later, he rang the bell for his maid, asking for his daughter and telling her that "I am going to die, please call my doctor and inform Gopal" (his private secretary). Ismail had suffered a massive heart attack.^[2]

Normally, Dr Stewart C. Macpherson, a neighbour of Ismail's and personal doctor to him and Tun Razak, would have immediately attended to Ismail. However, Macpherson had accompanied Razak to the summit, forcing Ismail to phone his other doctor, Dr Catterall, who lived in the satellite town of Petaling Jaya. Upon arrival, Catterall immediately began efforts to resuscitate Ismail, soon being joined by the royal physician, Dr Pillai. Panicked Cabinet members soon arrived, and began discussing the future of politics without Ismail — an incident Ismail's young son found disturbing as Ismail had yet to be declared dead. Catterall laboured for five hours to save Ismail, but to no avail. Ismail's official time of death was later pronounced as 10PM.^[2]

Without Ismail, the country was momentarily leaderless, without an acting Prime Minister. Tun Razak ordered that he be laid in state at the Malaysian Houses of Parliament, and be buried at the Makam Pahlawan (Heroes' Mausoleum) near Masjid Negara (National Mosque), Kuala Lumpur. Ismail would be the first to be laid to rest there, and also the first recipient of a Malaysian state funeral. However, Works & Communications Minister Tun Sardon Jubir, the next-most senior Cabinet minister, ordered that Ismail lie in state at the Masjid Negara, and that he be buried just outside the Makam Pahlawan instead. As Ismail's body was transported from his home to the National Mosque, crowds thronged the streets.^[2]

Razak was provided with a plane by the Canadian government that took him to Copenhagen, from where he took a commercial flight to Kuala Lumpur. Ismail's burial was postponed until his arrival.^[2] Upon arrival, finding that his instructions for Ismail's funeral had not been followed, Razak reportedly exclaimed to Ismail's widow, "Who am I to trust now?"^[10] Razak was particularly upset that the lying in state had been held in the National Mosque instead of the Houses of Parliament, as he had intended that non-Muslim Malaysians be able to view the lying in state without discomfort.^[2]

Tun Sardon Jubir attempted to justify his instructions by citing a mufti who had informed him that Muslims could not be buried under a roof. The Tunku was exasperated by this explanation, remarking: "My forefathers are all buried in a mausoleum under a roof!" Razak, who would normally have overlooked such incidents, delayed the burial and brought in a detachment of soldiers to tear up the floor of the mausoleum, where Ismail was indeed laid to rest.^[2]

Political views[link]

Ismail was particularly known for his non-ethnic approach to political issues. Expressing concern over racial polarisation in the country, he once asked:

Although, according to his biographers, Ismail was "usually considered as a very good Malay leader...Ismail knew that Malaysia is full of non-Malays." Unlike other UMNO politicians, Ismail avoided cultivating a political following: "He was there to build the country. That's it. He was actually a reluctant politician. So he wasn't a politician in the sense that he didn't cultivate 'my people'. He didn't care whether he made friends or not. That kind of person wasn't very popular".^[11]

As Foreign Minister, Ismail pushed for non-alignment and non-interference in the internal affairs of ASEAN countries. He also supported the establishment of a central bank to quell foreign investment worries about a lack of independence in Malaysian monetary policy.^[12]

Legacy[link]

The legacy left behind by Ismail is often viewed in a positive light. It is conventionally held that his sudden death altered the course of Malaysian history — Tun Abdul Razak appointed Tun Hussein Onn as his new deputy, and Hussein Onn would later appoint Mahathir as Deputy Prime Minister after succeeding Razak, setting Mahathir on the course towards becoming Prime Minister. Despite this, historians have often overlooked Ismail; one biographer of his has said that:

Ismail's eldest son has suggested that Ismail was largely ignored because "Razak didn’t want people to know about his illness and he didn’t need a prop like Dr Ismail. He had to move out of Dr Ismail's shadow. My father didn't say he was controlling Razak, but people perceived he was doing so, including those who advised Razak."^[3] Generally, Ismail has been regarded as reliable and incorruptible, "remembered for his deep dislike of incompetence and bigotry, his strict adherence to the virtues of hard work and honesty, and his belief in the principles of national independence and multi-racialism".^[10]

Tycoon Robert Kuok, a friend of Ismail's, would later remark that:

Notes and references[link]

Other references[link]

• Britannica entry on Tun Dr. Ismail Abdul Rahman

v t e Deputy Prime Ministers of Malaysia Abdul Razak Ismail Abdul Rahman Hussein Onn Mahathir Mohamad Musa Hitam Ghafar Baba Anwar Ibrahim Abdullah Badawi Najib Tun Razak Muhyiddin Yassin

Look up Abdur Rahman in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Abdur Rahman (Arabic: عبد الرحمن‎ or occasionally عبد الرحمان) is a male Muslim given name, and in modern usage, surname. It is built from the Arabic words Abd, al- and Rahman. The name means "servant of the most gracious", ar-Rahman being one of the names of God in the Qur'an, which give rise to the Muslim theophoric names.^[1][2]

The letter a of the al- is unstressed, and can be transliterated by almost any vowel, often by u. Because the letter r is a sun letter, the letter l of the al- is assimilated to it. Thus although the name is written in Arabic with letters corresponding to Abd al-Rahman, the usual pronunciation corresponds to Abd ar-Rahman. Alternative transliterations include ‘Abd ar-Rahman, Abdul Rahman, Abdur Rehman, Abdul Rehman, Abidur Rahman, and others, all subject to variant spacing and hyphenation. Certain transliterations tend to be associated with certain areas, for example, Abdirahman in Somalia, and Abderrahmane in French-speaking North Africa.

The name may refer to:

Males[link]

Medieval[link]

• Abdu'l-Rahman ibn Abu Bakr (early 7th century), son of the first Sunni caliph
• Abdur Rahman bin Awf (died 652), one of the Sahaba
• Abdulreman ibn Khalid (616 - 667), Muslim soldier
• Abd ar-Rahman ibn Rabiah (fl. 652), Arab leader in the Khazar-Arab Wars
• Abd-al-Rahman ibn Muljam, assassin in 661 of Ali
• Al-Hurr ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Thaqafi (deposed 718), Umayyad governor of Al-Andalus
• Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi (died 732), Arab leader in the Battle of Tours
• Abd al-Rahman ibn Katir al-Lahmi (fl. 746) Umayyad governor of Al Andalus
• Abd al-Rahman ben Uqba (fl. 755), governor of Septimania
• Abd al-Rahman ibn Habib al-Fihri (died 755), ruler of Ifriqiya
• Yusuf ibn 'Abd al-Rahman al-Fihri (fl. 756), governor of al-Andalus
• Abd al-Rahman al-Awza'i (707 - 774), Arab lawyer
• Abd ar-Rahman I (731 – 788), Umayyad emir in Córdoba
• Abd ar-Rahman II (788 – 852), Umayyad emir in Córdoba
• Abd-ar-Rahman III (890 – 961), Umayyad emir in Córdoba
• Abdirahman bin Isma'il al-Jabarti, traditionally held to be the common ancestor of the Somali Darod clan
• Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi, also known as Azophi (903 - 986), Persian astronomer
• Abd al-Rahman Sanchuelo (983 - 1009), chief minister of Córdoba
• Abd ar-Rahman IV (died 1018), Umayyad emir in Córdoba
• Abd ar-Rahman V (died 1024), Umayyad emir in Córdoba
• Yusuf ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Mizzi (1256–1342), Syrian Islamic scholar

Post-medieval[link]

• Ghabdraxman of Astrakhan, Khan of Astrakhan, 1534–1538
• Abderrahman El Majdoub (died 1568), Berber Moroccan poet
• Abd al-Rahman al-Fasi (1631–1685), Moroccan writer on law, history, astronomy and music
• Abdul Rahman Mohmand, known as Rahman Baba (1653–1711), Pashto Sufi poet
• Sheikh Muhammad Abdolrahman, Persian physician
• Abd al-Rahman al-Jabarti ‎(1753–1825), Somali–Egyptian scholar and chronicler
• `Abd ar-Rahman ibn Muhammad (died 1825), Emir of Harar
• Abdulrahman Ibrahim Ibn Sori (1762–1829), prince from West Africa who was made a slave in the United States
• Abderrahmane of Morocco (1778–1859), Sultan of Morocco
• Abd Al-Rahman bin Ahmad al-Zayla'i (1820–1882), Somali religious teacher
• Habib Abdoe'r Rahman Alzahier (born 1832), Yemeni participant in Aceh war
• Abd Al-Rahman Al-Gillani (1841–1927), Prime Minister of Iraq
• Abdur Rahman Khan (ca. 1842 - 1901), Emir of Afghanistan
• Abdul Rahman ibn Faisal (1850–1928), ruler of Saudi Arabia
• Abd al-Rahman al-Kawakibi (1855–1902), Syrian Arab Nationalist writer
• Haji Abdul Rahman Limbong (died 1929), Malay resistance leader
• Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani (1871–1930), Qatari royal
• Yousif bin Abdulrahman Fakhro (1871–1952), Bahrain businessman
• Abdullah Abdurahman (1872–1940), South African politician and physician
• Abd al-Rahman Shahbandar (1880–1940), Syrian nationalist activist
• Abd-el-Rahman el-Mahdi (1885–1959), religious and political leader in Sudan
• Abdel Rahman Shokry (1886–1958), Egyptian poet
• Abdurahman Čokić (1888–1954), Bosniak author/sheikh
• Sa'd bin Abd al-Rahman (1888–1916), Saudi prince and soldier
• Abdallah bin Abd al-Rahman (1889–1977), Saudi prince and soldier
• Muhammad bin Abd al-Rahman (died 1943), Saudi prince and soldier
• Abd ar-Rahman ibn Nasir as-Sa'di (1889–1956), Islamic scholar, jurist, exegete, and Arabic grammarian
• Abdul al-Rahman al-Rafai (1889–1966), Egyptian historian
• Abdul Rahman Hassan Azzam (1893–1976), Egyptian, secretary-general of the Arab League
• Abdur-Rahman al-Mu'allimee al-Yamani (1894–1966), Yemeni Islamic scholar
• Abdul Rahman of Negeri Sembilan (1895–1960) Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaya
• Mohammed Abdul Rahiman (1898–1945), Indian journalist, orator and politician
• Abdur Rahman Chughtai (1899–1975), Pakistani artist
• Tunku Abdul Rahman (1903–1990), Prime Minister of Malaysia
• Sheikh Abdur Rehman, known as S. A. Rahman (1903–1990), Chief Justice of Pakistan
• Mohamed bin Abdulrahman M. Hassan Fakhro (1906–1982), Bahraini businessman
• Abdurahman Fatalibeyli (1908–1954), Soviet army major who defected to the Germans in World War II
• Abdul Rahman Saleh (hero) (1909–1947), National Hero of Indonesia
• Hassan Ali Abdul Rahman, or Hassanally A. Rahman (1909–1986), Pakistani lawyer
• Abdul Rahman al-Iryani (1910–1998), President of Yemen
• Abdur Rahman Farès (1911–1991), Algerian politician
• Abd al-Rahman al-Shaghouri (1912–2004), Syrian Sufi poet, textile worker, and trade unionist
• Abd ar-Rahman al-Bazzaz (1913–1973), Iraqi politician
• Sheikh Abdurahman Sheikh Nuur (fl. 1933), Somali, inventor of Borama script

Born after 1914[link]

• Ismail Abdul Rahman (1915–1973), Malaysian politician
• Mohamed Abdel Rahman (born 1915), Egyptian fencer
• Abdul Rahman Arif (1916–2007), President of Iraq
• Abdel Rahman Badawi (1917–2002), Egyptian existentialist philosopher and poet
• Senu Abdul Rahman (1919–1995), Malaysian politician
• Abdul Rahman Pazhwak (1919–1995), Afghan poet and diplomat
• Abdur Rahman Hye (1919 — 2008), Pakistani architect
• Abdurrahman Sharafkandi (1920–1990), Kurdish-Iranian poet
• Havildar Abdul Rahman (GC) (1921–1945), Indian George Cross recipient
• Tufail Ali Abdul Rehman (1921–1975), Pakistani lawyer
• Akhtar Abdur Rahman (1924–1988), Pakistani General
• Abderrahmane Youssoufi (born 1924), Moroccan Prime Minister
• Abdulrahman Mohamed Babu (born 1924), Zanzibari revolutionary nationalist
• Abdur Rahman Biswas (born 1926), Bangladeshi politician
• Abdul Rahman Ya'kub (born 1928), Chief Minister of Sarawak
• Mahmoud Abdel Rahman Fahmy (1929–2006), Commander of the Egyptian Naval Forces
• Abdul Rehman Antulay, known as A R Antulay (born 1929), Indian politician
• Abdul Rahman Ghassemlou (1930–1989), Kurdish political leader
• Ibn Abdur Rehman (born 1930), Pakistani journalist, peace and human-rights advocate
• Abdel Rahman Swar al-Dahab (born 1930), President of Sudan
• Abdurrahman Vazirov (born 1930), First Secretary of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan
• Gely Abdel Rahman (1931–1990), Sudanese poet
• Abd al-Rahman bin Abdul Aziz (born 1931), Saudi politician
• Abdirahman Ahmed Ali Tuur (1931–2003), Somali politician
• Abdel Rahman Zuabi (born 1932), Israeli judge
• Omar Abdul Rahman (academic) (born 1932), Malaysian scientific adviser
• Tunku Abdul Rahman (Tunku Mahkota of Johor) (1933–1989), prince of Johor
• Abdul Rahman Munif (1933–2004), Arabic novelist
• Abdullah Abdah Rahman Jabrin (1933–2009), Saudi sheikh
• Abdur Rahman Slade Hopkinson (1934–1993), Guyanese actor and Muslim convert
• Abdulrahman al-Ansary (born 1935), Saudi archaeologist
• Abdul Rahman Mamudu (1937–1992), Nigerian military Governor
• Abdul Rahman Ahmed Jibril Baroud (1937–2010), Palestinian poet
• Abdel Rahman el-Abnudi (born 1938), Egyptian poet
• Abdul Rahman Abbas (born 1938), Governor of Penang
• Omar Abdel-Rahman (born 1938), blind Egyptian Muslim activist serving a life sentence in USA
• Kavungal Amakkode Abdul Rahman, or K. A. Rahman (1940–1999), Indian social activist
• Abdurrahman Wahid (1940–2008), President of Indonesia
• Abd al-Rahman bin Saud (1940–2005), Saudi prince
• Ghazi Abdul Rahman Algosaibi (born 1940), Saudi politician
• Abdul Rahman Al-Athel (born 1940), Saudi engineering professor
• Hadj Abderrahmane (1941–1981), Algerian actor
• Abdul Rahman Saleh (born 1941), Attorney General of Indonesia
• Rauf Rashid Abd al-Rahman (born ca. 1941), Iraqi judge in trial of Saddam Hussein
• Abdurehman Rana (born 1942), Pakistani politician
• Mahdi Abdul-Rahman (1942–2011), American basketball player better known as Walt Hazzard
• Abd Al-Rahman Ali Al-Jifri (born 1943), Yemeni politician
• Abdulrahman al-Nuaimi (1944–2011), Bahraini politician
• Abdulrahman Mohammed Jamsheer (born 1944), Bahraini businessman
• Hasan Abdel Rahman (born 1944), Palestinian diplomat
• O. Abdurahman (born 1944), Indian Malayalam journalist
• Taha Abdurrahman (born 1944), Moroccan philosopher
• Abdirahman Mohamud Farole (born 1945), President of Puntland, Somalia
• Abdulrahman Gimba (born 1945), Nigerian politician
• Abd al-Rahman Mowakket (born 1946), Syrian sculptor
• Abdel Rahman Shalgham (born 1949), Libyan politician
• Abdurrahman Yalçınkaya (born 1950), Turkish judge
• Abdul Rahman (Afghan minister) (1953–2002), murdered Afghan minister of aviation and tourism
• Abdul Rahman Kamudi (born ca. 1955), Libyan politician
• Abdurrahman Mohammad Fachir (born 1957), Indonesian diplomat
• Abderrahmane Morceli (born 1957), Algerian runner
• Abderrahmane Abdelli (born 1958), Algerian musician
• Abdel Rahman El Bacha (born 1958), Lebanese pianist
• Abdurrahman Buğday (born 1959), Turkish member of Grey Wolves, accused of murder
• Abdul Rahman (politician) (born 1959), Indian politician
• Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais (born 1960), imam of Grand Mosque in Mecca
• Abdul Rahman Yasin (born 1960), American wanted in connection with the 1993 World Trade Center bombing
• Abderrahmane Sissako (born 1961), Mauritanian film director
• Abdul Rahman (convert) (born 1965), Afghan Christian who faced the death penalty for converting from Islam
• Khalid Abdulrahman (born 1966), Saudi singer
• Abdulrahman bin Musa'ad (born 1967), Saudi prince
• Yunis Abdurrahman Shokuri (born 1968), Moroccan held in Guantanamo
• Abdul Rahman Juma Kahm (born ca. 1969), Afghan held in Guantanamo
• Atiyah Abd al-Rahman (born ca. 1970), Libyan sought by the US
• Abdelrazak Ali Abdelrahman, (born 1970), Libyan held in Guantanamo
• Khalid Abdallah Abdel Rahman Al Morghi (born 1970), Saudi held in Guantanmo
• Abdul Rahman Yusuf (born 1970), Egyptian poet
• Abdul Rahman al-Lahim (born 1971), Saudi human rights lawyer
• Abdul Rahman Khowlan (born 1972), Saudi held in Guantanamo
• Abdul Ghappar Abdul Rahman (born 1973), Uyghur-Chinese Guantanamo detainee
• Abdul Rahman Uthman Ahmed (born 1973), Saudi held in Guantanamo
• Slimane Hadj Abderrahmane (born 1973), Dane held in Guantanamo
• Ali Abd al-Rahman al-Faqasi al-Ghamdi (born 1973), Saudi on wanted list
• Abdul Rahman al-Amri (1973–2007), Saudi held in Guantanamo who died there
• Ghanim Abdul Rahman Al Harbi (born 1974), Saudi held in Guantanamo
• Abdul Rahman Al-Ghamdi (born 1974), Saudi on wanted list
• Abdul Rahman Shalabi (born 1975), Saudi held in Guantanamo
• Allal Ab Aljallil Abd Al Rahman Abd (born 1975), Yemeni held in Guantanamo
• Abdul Rahman Saleem(born ca. 1975), Iranian-British Islamic activist
• Abdul Rahman (Guantanamo detainee 357) (born 1976), Afghan detainee
• Abdul Rahman Umir Al Qyati (born 1976), Yemeni held in Guantanamo
• Khalid Saud Abd Al Rahman Al Bawardi (born 1977), Saudi held in Guantanamo
• Muhammad Abd Al Rahman Al Kurash (born 1977), Saudi held in Guantanamo
• Abdihakem Abdirahman (born 1977), Somali-American long-distance runner
• Abderrahmane Hammad (born 1977), Algerian athlete
• Amir Abdur Rehman Cheema (ca. 1978 - 2006), Pakistani who attempted murder of German journalist
• Abd Al Rahman Al Zahri (born 1979), Yemeni held in Guantanamo
• Abdul Rahman Abdul Abu Ghiyth Sulayman (born 1979), Yemeni held in Guantanamo
• Abdul Rahman Owaid Mohammad Al Juaid (born 1980), Saudi held in Guantanamo
• Abdul Rahman Nashi Badi Al Hataybi (born ca. 1980), Saudi held in Guantanamo
• Abd al-Rahman Bin Khalil Bin Abdallah Nur (born 1980), Saudi sought by the US
• Abdul Rahman Mohamed Saleh Naser (born ca. 1980), Yemeni held in Guantanamo
• Majid Hamad Abdulrahman Al-Fareij (born ca. 1980), Saudi held in Guantanamo
• Hisham Abdulrahman (born 1982), Saudi actor
• Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman Abdul Aziz Al Baddah (born 1982), Saudi held in Guantanamo
• Abdurahman Khadr (born 1982), Guantanamo detainee
• Saeed Abdulrahman (born 1985), Qatari basketball player

Footballers and cricketers[link]

For footballers, see List of footballers called Abdur Rahman. For cricketers, see Abdur Rehman (cricketer)

Modern, unknown birth date[link]

• Abdul-Rahman al-Barrak, Saudi cleric
• Abdur Rahman ibn Yusuf, British imam
• Abdirahman Jama Barre, Somali politician
• Abdurahman Ahmed Ali Tur (died 1993), Somali politician
• Abdirahman Janaqow (died 2007), Somali politician
• Abdirahman Ahmed (died 2009), Somali politician
• Abdulrahman Abd Ghani, Somali-Ethiopian politician
• Abdirahman Ali Hassan, Kenyan politician
• Prince Faisal Bin Abdulrahman Bin Saud, Saudi prince
• Yasser Abdel Rahman (graduated 1983), Egyptian violinist
• Hashem Abd al-Rahman (active 1989 - 2008), Arab-Israeli politician
• Abdul Rahman al-Amoudi (active 1990 - 2004), Eritrean-American imprisoned on financial and conspiracy charges
• Abdur Rehman (Libyan) (died 2003), Libyan alleged Al-Qaeda member
• Abdul Rahman Jabarah (died 2003), Canadian killed in Saudi-Arabia
• Ahmad Abdul-Rahman Saqr al-Fadhli (died 2004), Saudi on wanted list killed in Saudi-Arabia
• Abdulrahman Mohammad Mohammad Yazji (died 2004), Saudi on wanted list killed in Saudi-Arabia
• Faisal Abdulrahman Abdullah Aldakheel (died 2004), Saudi on wanted list killed in Saudi-Arabia
• Sheik Abd-Al-Rahman (died 2006), Iraqi cleric
• Shaykh Abdur Rahman (died 2007), executed Bangladeshi political activist
• Abdul Rahman al-Omari, Saudi pilot wrongly accused of terrorism
• Saleh Ibn Abdul Rahman Hussayen, Saudi government official accused of assisting terrorists
• B. S. Abdur Rahman, Indian businessman
• Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Taib, Malaysian politician
• Abdul Rahman Dahlan, Malaysian politician
• Tajuddin Abdul Rahman, Malaysian politician
• Abdul Halim Abdul Rahman, Malaysian politician
• Abdul Rahman Bakri (Selangor politician), Malaysian politician accused of corruption
• Abdul Rahman Mustafa (elected 2003), Iraqi-Kurdish politician
• Hashim Abderrahman al-Shibli, Iraqi politician
• Abderrahman Sadik Karim, Iraqi politician
• Abdul Rahman Haji Ahmadi, Kurdish-Iranian militant leader
• Abdul Rahman Noorani (released 2003), Afghan detained in Guantanamo
• Abd Al Rahman Abdullah Ali Muhammad, Yemeni held in Guantanamo
• Mohammed Abdel-Rahman al-Rashed, Saudi on wanted list
• Obaida Abdul-Rahman Al Otaibi, Saudi on wanted list
• Asim Abdulrahman, Egyptian honoured by the Taliban
• Mohammed Omar Abdel-Rahman, Egyptian imprisoned by the US
• Hiwa Abdul Rahman Rashul, Iraqi imprisoned by the US
• Abderrahmane Ameuroud, Algerian imprisoned in France
• Abdulrahman Farhane, American imprisoned for supporting terrorism
• Abdul Rahman Muhammad Nasir Qasim al-Yaf'i, Yemeni subjected to extraordinary rendition by the US
• Abu Abdul Rahman, Iraqi-Canadian political combatant
• Abdelrahman Fakhri Abou el-Ila, Egyptian-Canadian accused of assassination plot

• Abderrahman Ait Khamouch, Spanish paralympic athlete

Females[link]

• Aisha Abd al-Rahman, known as Bint al-Shati (1913–1998), Egyptian author and professor of literature
• Siti Aishah Abdul Rahman (born 1971), Queen of Malaysia
• Norah Abdul Rahman, Malaysian politician
• Muriel Abdurahman, politician in Alberta, Canada

References[link]

This page or section lists people that share the same given name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change that link to point directly to the intended article.

This page or section lists people with the surname Abdur Rahman. If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name(s) to the link.

Mustafa Kamal (Arabic: مصطفى کمال ‎), is a name composed of the separate names Mustafa and Kamal. Many spelling variations are possible, as shown below. It may refer to:

• Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881–1938), Turkish army officer, revolutionary statesman, and founder of the Republic of Turkey as well as its first President
• Mostafa Kamal Tolba (born 1922), Egyptian scientist
• Mustafa Kamal (judge) (born 1935), Chief Justice of Bangladesh
• Abu Hena Mustafa Kamal (1936–1989), professor of Bengali literature
• Mostafa Kamal (Bir Sreshtho) (1947-1971), Bangladeshi military hero
• Lotfi Mustafa Kamal (born 1952), Egyptian airman and politician
• Syed Mustafa Kamal (born 1971), District City Nazim (Mayor) of Karachi
• Mostafa Kamal (footballer born 1973), Egyptian footballer
• Mustapha Kamal N'Daw (born 1981), Gambian footballer

Mustafa Kamel[link]

A distinct but related name Mustafa Kamel (Arabic: مصطفى كامل ‎), can be formed from the separate names Mustafa and Kamel. Bearers of this name include

• Mustafa Kamil Pasha (1874–1908), leader of the Egyptian Nationalist Party
• Mustafa Kamel Murad (1927–1998), Egyptian military officer and politician
• Mustapha Kamel Selmi (born 1965), Algerian sprinter based in Egypt

This disambiguation page lists articles about people with the same name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2008)

Mustafa Ismail (center, dressed in white) with King Farouk of Egypt

Early life[link]

Shaykh Mustafa Ismael is one of the most well known Qaris (Quran reciter).^{[citation needed]} He was born in a village called Mit Gazal, a village near Tanta in Egypt on 17 June 1905 and his parents named him Mustafa, he was raised by his grandfather.

Shaykh Mustafa Ismael focused on Quran at an early age and when he became 10 years old he became a Hafiz (memorized the Quran). He went to Ahmadi Institution at Tanta and learned Tafsir (exegises), Qiraat (science of recitation) and Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence). After that he devoted his life to the service of the Quran and. It is noted that once he recited the Quran at a very large gathering and thus became very popular among the people. His son Wahid Mustafa said:

"Somebody pointed at my father and said that this young man recites the Quran well. My father was to recite for 10 minutes with Shaykh Rifat but since Shaykh Rifat liked it so much, my father recited for an hour and a half."^{[citation needed]}

The Qari who recited the Quran from Egypt radio became ill and instead Shaykh Mustafa Ismael was put on the radio chair to recite. King Faruq was one of the audience. King Faruq liked Shaykh Mustafa Ismael so much that he requested him to recite Quran during the Ramadan for himself. He was now King’s Qari.

Unique Style[link]

Dr. Ahmed Nuaina, an Egyptian Qur'an reader, once told noted composer Ammar El-Shereii: “Mostafa Ismail is not just one sheikh. He is several methods and sheikhs in one. You can find all musical forms in his recitation. Whenever I hear a sheikh say something, I remember that Sheikh [Ismail] had said it before. Reciters have failed to come up with anything new after him. He moves easily between maqamat, and never went off tune. The listener’s ear never feels tired of him, because he always intrigues his listeners. He is creative in his qafalat [endings]. I can often predict qafalat, but his are always unexpected.”^[1]

Late great composer Abdel-Wahab was of much the same opinion: “He was big in his art, he was big in his management of his voice, and was the only reciter who surprised listeners with unexpected maqam routes,” he once declared.^{[citation needed]}

In his Dream TV program two years ago, El-Shereii tried to analyze the sheikh’s musical approach by replaying a few short recitations. “His recitation was miraculous, and he was a musical miracle as well. He was unique.”^[1]

Analyzing a different verse, the composer says: “He would go up to the very highest notes of the maqam, and he would do it with ease, enjoying himself. It is enough to drive you crazy. This man must have understood music very well, and must have meant what he was doing. He uses saba maqam at first to demonstrate huzn [sadness], then moves to the C, or agam, and then he takes his voice high up the notes when he says al-samaa (the sky) If this were not a musician, then we the musicians know nothing, and must go home. He knew what he was doing and did it depending on his knowledge of the [seven] qira’at [readings] and his very special expressive ability.”^[1]

Chronology[link]

• 1905 Mostafa Mohamed El-Mursi Ismail is born on June 17 in Mit Ghazal, a Gharbeya governorate village.
• 1911 The young Mostafa starts learning the Qur'an in the kuttab of Sheikh Abdel Rahman Abul Einein
• 1913 Mostafa moves to the kuttab of Sheikh Abdallah Shehata
• 1915 The 10-year-old becomes a celebrity reciter in his village, as his voice starts drawing listeners.
• 1917 Sheikh Mostafa Ismail finishes studying the art of tilawa and tajwid with Sheikh Idriss Fakher. He later moves to Tanta to study at the Religious Institute, after an Azhar Sheikh hears him recite in Oteif mosque. The young Sheikh embarks on his career as a reciter.
• 1920 He receives 70 pt for his first official three-night aaza [mourning] event.
• 1925 He recites during the aaza of one of Tanta’s richest men, Hussein El-Qasabi, and soon becomes a celebrity all over rural Egypt.
• 1927 He recites at the aaza of national leader Saad Zaghloul in Damietta. Meets his wife, the mother of his six children, and is also heard by all of Egypt’s pashas. He has to open an office in Tanta to organize his schedule.
• 1943 He recites in Cairo for the first time. He becomes a radio star.
• 1944 He becomes King Farouk’s favorite reciter. His famous recitations from the King’s palace every Ramadan were heard by radio listeners all over the Arab world. Sheikh Mostafa travels all over the Arab world.
• 1947 He becomes Al-Azhar’s reciter, a prestigious post.
• 1965 Receives the Distinction Medal from Gamal Abdel Nasser, who had also made him his official reciter. Umm Kulthum and Mohamed Abdel Wahab receive their medals on the same night as Ismail.
• 1977 Ismail travels to Jerusalem with President Anwar Sadat. He recites the Qur'an inside the Al-Aqsa mosque.
• 1978 On Dec. 22, he recites the Qur'an for the last time in Damietta. Dies on Dec. 26.

References[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mustafa Ismail

1. ^ ^{a b c} http://www.mustafaismail.org/index/sy-11.asp?dil_no=107&xp=1891&session=256bn4345cx&gorev=hayat Sheikh Mustafa Ismail

External links[link]

• Mustafa ismail
• Mustafa_Ismail - mp3 audio & Videos
• http://www.quranreciters.com/wp/index.php/2006/04/23/mustafa-ismael-short-biography/
• http://www.egypttoday.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=5910