The Centre is named after the late Professor Khaliq Ahmad Nizami (1925-97), who served the University and the country, in various capacities, for nearly four decades: as Professor and Chairman of the Department of History; Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences; Provost of Sir Syed Hall; Dean Students Welfare; Pro-Vice Chancellor; Vice Chancellor; and Indian Ambassador to Syria. Professor Nizami was a prolific writer and authored more than fifty books covering different facets of Indo-Muslim history and Sir Syed Ahmad Khan’s life and thought. The Quranic Centre provides facilities for research in all aspects of Quranic sciences, Islam, and other areas relevant to the academic interests of the late Professor K. A. Nizami.
The aims of the Centre are:
To provide instructions in reading Quran (nazira).
To provide instructions in recitation of Quran according to the different methods of recitation (tajwid and qirat).
To arrange classes for memorizing of Quran (hifz).
To promote research in the field of Quranic exegesis (tafsir), particularly with regard to commentaries written in South Asia.
To give instructions in the art of calligraphy.
To provide an academic forum for scholars whose academic interests focus on any aspect of Quran, especially those in the departments of Theology, Islamic Studies, History, Arabic, Persian etc.
To provide proper facility for the display of rare books and Quranic manuscripts currently housed in the Maulana Azad Library.
To hold seminars, symposia, conferences, exhibitions and lectures.
To study Islamic jurisprudence, Islamic finance etc. as may be consistent with the broad purposes of the Centre and the wishes of the benefactors.
To promote the educational and cultural advancement of the Muslims of India and to nurture links with other Centres of Islamic learning in India and abroad.