Rest in peace: Professor Atiya Khalil Arab passes away at 80

KARACHI:

Professor Atiya Khalil Arab Ansari, a former chairperson of the University of Karachi Arabic Department, passed away at the age of 80 at a hospital in Dubai on Monday after protracted illness.

Ansari, an Islamic scholar, writer and a literary figure, had moved to the UAE after her retirement from the University of Karachi in 2004. She was born in Lucknow on December 27, 1935. Her father Allama Khalil Arab was a leading Islamic scholar.

She wrote her first book when she was 15 years old. During her academic and literary career spanning over six decades, Ansari wrote several books, including a collection of Urdu poetry and the life of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) and the Holy Quran. She also authored hundreds of essays, academic and research papers. She was laid to rest in UAE on Monday evening. She has left behind a daughter, Naila Jafri, a playwright, sons Imran and Hasan Kazmi and a large number of students, fans, admirers and colleagues to mourn her death.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 5^th, 2016.