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About
Abdur Rashid Siddiqui (1932-2019) was a British Muslim writer, librarian, and educator whose works aimed to make the Qurʾan accessible to ordinary readers. Born in Bombay, India, he earned degrees in economics, politics, and law at the University of Bombay, then completed postgraduate study in librarianship in London. After a brief period at Liverpool Public Library, he joined the University of Leicester in 1966 as a senior librarian, where he also served as a Muslim chaplain, retiring in 1997. Alongside his professional career he gave decades of service to Muslim institutions in Britain. He was a trustee of the Islamic Foundation in Leicester for more than forty years, serving as its secretary and treasurer and helping shape its governance, and he was involved with the UK Islamic Mission, the Islamic Society of Britain, and the Muslim Council of Britain. His books reflect a lifelong devotion to scripture and self-purification. They include the "Key to" series on individual suras (al-Fatiha, Al ʿImran, al-Kahf), Qurʾanic Keywords: A Reference Guide, Treasures of the Qurʾan, Tazkiyah: The Islamic Path of Self-Development, and Living in Allah's Presence, as well as studies of Muhammad Iqbal such as Man and Destiny and A Treasury of Iqbal. He was remembered for his humility, sincerity, and warm insight into the Qurʾan.
