{{Short description|Pakistani scholar and politician (1916–2002)}} {{Use Pakistani English|date=November 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}} {{Infobox religious biography | honorific-prefix = [[Mawlānā|Maulana]] | native_name = {{lang|ur|{{nq|نعیم صدیقی}}}} | image = | caption = | name = Naeem Siddiqui | religion = [[Islam]] | alma_mater = [[University of the Punjab]] | birth_date = 5 June 1916 | birth_place = [[Chakwal]], [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab]], [[British Raj|British India]] | death_date = {{Death date and age|2002|09|25|1916|06|05|df=yes}} | death_place = [[Lahore]], [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]], [[Pakistan]] | movement = [[Jamaat-e-Islami]]<br>[[Tehreek-e-Islami]] | website = }}
'''Maulana Naeem Siddiqui''' (1916 – 25 September 2002) was a Pakistani [[Islamic scholar]], writer and politician. He was among the founder-members of the [[Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan|Jamaat-e-Islami]] and a close associate of [[Abul A'la Maududi]] and [[Amin Ahsan Islahi]].<ref name=dawn>{{cite news|title=Maulana Naeem Siddiqui passes away|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/58988/maulana-naeem-siddiqui-passes-away|access-date=19 November 2017|newspaper=DAWN (newspaper)|date=26 September 2002}}</ref>
==Early life and career== Naeem Siddiqui was born on 5 June 1916 at [[Chakwal]], [[Punjab, British India]].<ref name=Hashmi>Dr.Abdulla Hashmi, Naeem Siddiqui ke Ilmi wa Adabi Khidmat (Urdu), Matboo'aat-e-Suleimani, Lahore 2011, p.21, p.34, p.35</ref> He was [[home-schooled]] and then from Government High School, [[Khanpur, Chakwal|Khanpur]]. He completed ''Molvi Faazil'' at Uloom-e-Islamia (institution for Islamic religious sciences) and then got the degrees of "Munshi" (Graduation) and of ''Munshi Faazil'' (that was equivalent to master's degree at that time) in [[Arabic]] and [[Persian literature]] from the [[University of Punjab]], [[Lahore]] in 1938.<ref>Dr.Abdulla Hashmi, Naeem Siddiqui ke Ilmi wa Adabi Khidmat (Urdu), Matboo'aat-e-Suleimani, Lahore 2011, p.38</ref> Naeem Siddiqui was among the founder members of [[Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan|Jamaat-e-Islami]] along with its founder [[Abul A'la Maududi]]. However, due to irreconcilable differences with its leadership, he quit Jamaat in 1994<ref name=dawn /><ref>{{cite web|title=The curious case of Amira Ehsan|url=http://www.thefridaytimes.com/beta2/tft/article.php?issue=20110624&page=5|publisher=The Friday Times (newspaper)|accessdate=19 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140204032145/http://www.thefridaytimes.com/beta2/tft/article.php?issue=20110624&page=5|archive-date=4 February 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> and founded the Islamic religious and political party tehreek e Islami along with his fellows in 1994.<ref name=NaeemSiddiqui>Naeem Siddiqui, Pachpan Saala Refaqat (Urdu), Alfaisal Nashiran, Lahore 2010, pp.2–5, p.61, p.71, p.78, p.119, p.128</ref> In 1996, Tehreek-e-Islami split into two groups,<ref name=NaeemSiddiqui/> one group was led by Naeem Siddiqui himself while the coordinator of the other group was ''Hafeez-ur-Rehman Ahsan''. Due to the endavour and mediation of some Arab-countries-based Pakistani friends, both groups were re-united in 1998. He explained the story of the reunion in a letter to his friend Khwaja Maqbool Ellahi in 2001<ref name=NaeemSiddiqui/> by saying that our difference was unique and now our union is also unique.<ref name=NaeemSiddiqui/>
==Contributions==
===Literature===
Siddiqui started his literary career by joining biweekly magazine, ''Kausar'', from [[Karachi]] under the editorship of Nasrullah Khan Aziz. Later, he joined the monthly Charagh-i-Rah and remained its editor for nine years.<ref name=dawn /> He was instrumental in using the above outlets to disseminate Islamic knowledge and raise awareness on Islamic culture.
He was credited as a poet of a unique style and wrote verses on religious, political and social issues. Through his short stories, poetry and articles in magazines such as the Charagh-i-Rah, he helped in creating a wide audience for Islamic literature and poetry in Pakistan and the Muslim world.<ref name=book2>{{cite book|title=চরিত্র গঠনের মৌলিক উপাদান|date=May 1990|publisher=ICS Publications|pages=5–6|edition=1st}}</ref>
He was also editor of the monthly magazine ''Tarjuman-ul-Quran'' for a long time after the death of Maulana Maududi.<ref name=book2 />
==Writings==
=== Major books === Siddiqui is well-known for his biographical work on Islamic prophet [[Muhammad]], ''Muhsin-e-Insaniyat'', or ''The Benefactor of Humanity''.<ref name=dawn /><ref name=ArabNews>{{cite news|title=Jeddah Group to Launch Biggest Islamic e-Library|url=http://www.arabnews.com/node/248462|accessdate=19 November 2017|agency=Arab News|date=29 April 2004}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Muhammad (PBUH): The Benefactor of Humanity|url=http://www.islamicstudies.info/muhammad/benefactor/benefactor.php|accessdate=19 November 2017|url-status=bot: unknown|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903055108/http://www.islamicstudies.info/muhammad/benefactor/benefactor.php|archivedate=3 September 2014}}</ref> This book describes and explains various stages of prophetic revolution. Furthermore, he is also the author of many books dealing with issues related to the socio-politico-economics system of Islam.
His other major books include:
* ''Communism ya Islam'' (کمیونزم یا اسلام) – An ideological critique published 1972, contrasting [[Communism|communist]] ideology with Islamic principles.<ref>{{cite web |title=Communism ya Islam (1972) |url=https://www.rekhta.org/ebooks/communism-ya-islam-naeem-siddiqui-ebooks}}</ref>
* ''Ma’rifat‑e‑Maududi / Al‑Maududi'' – A critical and analytical study of Abul A‘la Maududi’s ideology and movement.<ref>{{cite web |title=Al‑Maududi by Naeem Siddiqui |url=https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8528193.Naeem_Siddiqui}}</ref>
* ''Taleem ka Tehzeebi Nazariya'' (تعلیم کا تہذیبی نظریہ, “Civilizational Approach to Education”) – A scholarly exploration of education’s role in building Islamic civilization.
* ''Pachpan Saala Rifaqqat'' (پچپن سالہ رفاقت, “Fifty-Five Years of Companionship”) – Memoir reflecting his decades-long association with Maududi; reprinted 2010.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pachpan Saala Rifaqqat |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naeem_Siddiqui}}</ref>{{Circular reference|date=September 2025}}
* ''Tahreeki Shaoor'' (تحریکی شعور, “Revolutionary Consciousness”) – A pamphlet on political activism.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tahreeki Shaoor |date=8 February 2022 |url=https://archive.org/details/tahreeki-shaoor}}</ref>
Other notable works include ''Haq-o-Batil'' (1952), ''Tanjziyati Sirat ke Lawazim'', and ''Islami Iqtisadiyat mein Infiradiyat aur Ijtimaiyyat'', covering Islamic economics, ethics, and political theory.
=== Journal & magazine articles === Siddiqui served as editor for several influential publications:
* ''Charagh‑e‑Rah'' – Urdu monthly, Karachi; he edited multiple issues in the 1950s–60s. * ''Tarjuman‑ul‑Quran'' – Monthly scholarly journal, which he also edited post-Maududi era.
He also authored more than 700 research articles on the matter of socio-politico-economic system of Islam which have been published in various journals such as the monthly ''Tarjuman-ul-Quran'', monthly ''Siyaraa'', monthly ''Chiraagh-e-Raah'', bimonthly ''Na'shur'', weekly ''Takbeer'', weekly ''Shahab'', weekly ''Asia'' and weekly ''Tasneem''.<ref name="Hashmi" />
==Death== Siddiqui died on 25 September 2002 in Lahore due to ill health at the age of 86. His funeral prayers were offered at the Mansoora Ground. It was led by [[Mian Tufail Mohammad]], former Emir of the Jamaat-e-Islami.<ref name=dawn />
==References== {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Siddiqui, Naeem}} [[Category:1916 births]] [[Category:2002 deaths]] [[Category:Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan politicians]] [[Category:Pakistani political party founders]] [[Category:Pakistani Sunni Muslim scholars of Islam]] [[Category:Urdu-language non-fiction writers]] [[Category:Islamic democracy activists]] [[Category:20th-century Muslim scholars of Islam]]