Professor Nisar Ahmed Faruqi, born at Amroha in Uttar Pradesh on 29 June 1934. His father was Maulvi Tasleem Ahmed Faruqi and his mother Maimoona Kahtoon. He was the eldest of three siblings; his brothers are Jalees Ahmed Faruqi (deceased 2006), and Anees Ahmed Faruqi, currently in charge of Calligraphy Training Centre at Amroha, Uttar Pradesh. He received his education in Oriental languages and Islamic Studies at home from his maternal grandfather Chishti Sabri. did a part of his schooling in Hyderabad, and studied at Jamia Urdu, Aligarh. Later, he did his Masters and Ph.D degrees in Arabic from University of Delhi. The primary education that he sought under the guidance of his Uncle and Maternal Grandfather was so rich that he could compete with the outside world with the powerful weapons of knowledge in the field of Arabic, Persian, Urdu languages and Islamic studies.

He was a well known scholar and authority on Sufism in the subcontinent, having about 50 standard works and more than 700 professional articles to his credit.

He had his early education at Amroha and later moved to Hyderabad, Deccan from where he completed his schooling, then from Aligarh he did his Honours in Urdu from Jamia Urdu Aligarh, after this he moved to Delhi where he did his graduation and Post graduation in Arabic and Literature and later his Doctorate on the subject "Early Muslim Historiography - A Study of Early Transmitters of Arab History from Rise of Islam up to the end of Umayyad Period (612-750 AD)" from University of Delhi in 1977.

He then joined the [Delhi University] as a reader in modern Arabic and rose to the position of the Head of the Arabic Department. He retired from service in the year 2002 as the Head of the Department of Arabic.

Prof. Nisar Ahmed Faruqi received many awards during his lifetime and was highly acclaimed for his unique and deep knowledge of Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Hindi, English and a Punjabi.

He received the Presidents Certificate of Honour from Late President of India His Excellency Giani Zail Singh Jee in the year 1983.

He expired on 28 November 2004 after a brief illness at The All India Institute of Medical Sciences. He is laid to rest at his ancestral graveyard at Amroha, Uttar Pradesh.

Employment

1) Lecturer, Delhi University, 1964 to 1966 
2) Lecturer in Arabic, Delhi College, 1966 to 1977 
3) Reader in Modern Arabic, University of Delhi, 1977 to 1985 
4) Professor and Head of Arabic Department, University of Delhi, 1985-2001

Memberships and Contributions

Chief Editor, Thaqafat ul Hind, Indian Council for Cultural Relations, ICCR, New Delhi 
Associate Editor, Islam and the Modern Age Society (1971-1975) 
Editor, Rampur Raza Library Board (1984-1997 
Founder Member, Haryana Urdu Academy, Panchkola Haryana 
Secretary, All India Arabic Teachers Association (1985-1990, 1996-2004) 
Founder Editor, Ghalibnama Research Journal, Ghalib Institute, New Delhi 1975-76 
A Senior Broadcaster of All India Radio since 1953 
Life Member, Allama Iqbal Academy, Lahore, Pakistan 
Member, All India Allama Iqbal Literary Centre, Bhopal (1985-2004) 
General Secretary, Baba Farid Educational Society (Regd), Amroha, UP India

Achievements and Awards

Alami Farogh-e-Urdu Adab Award 2004 Doha Qatar 
Delhi Urdu Academy Award for Research (1982) 
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Award by Uttar Pradesh Urdu Academy (1995) 
Qazi Abdul Wudood Award for Research by Bihar Urdu Academy 
Nuqoosh Award for Research (1987) Pakistan 
Maikash Akbarabadi Award, Agra 
Iftikhar-e-Mir Award, Lucknow 
Notable works and publications 
Professor Nisar Ahmed Faruqi authored number of books on different topics some of his works is listed below: 
Dirasat (Maktabah Jamia, 1978) 
Zikr-e-Meer(Lahore, (1990) 
Yaqzaat Al Na'imeen (1996) 
Yadgaari Khutbaat (1980) 
The Qur'an, The Hadith & The Sirah As The Sources of Islamic History (New York 1997) 
Thaqafat Al Hind, (Special Issue On Maulana Abul Kalam Azad) (1990) 
Tarikh-e-Tabari Ke Ma'akhiz Ka Tehqeeqi Wa Tanqeedi Mutala'a (Delhi 1980 Lahore 1998) 
Tarikh-e-Mohammadi Vol.2, Part 7, (1996, Part 5, 2003) 
Tadhkira-e-Hazrat Khwaja Nizamuddin Auliya (1980) 
Thabaqaat Ush Shu'ara (1965) 
Sirat-e-Nabawi Ki Awwaleen Kitabein Aur Unke Mu'allifeen (Delhi 1974) 
Shifa Ul Aleel - by Ghulam Ali Azad Bilgrami (1990) 
Shawamil Al Jumal Der Shama'il Al-Kummal (2001) 
Shaikh Sadr Uddin Mohammad Yaqoob Be "Jihinda Shaheed" (2002) 
Shah Waliullah Dehlavi Ke Nadir Maktubat (1998) 
Rauzat Ul Auliya (1999) 
Life and Teachings of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya R.A (1978) 
Qiwam Ul Aqa'id (1994) 
Nawadir E Imdaadiya (1996) 
Deeed-o-Daryaft, Subject Research and Criticism, 1964 
Meer Taqi Meer (1995) 
Tabaqat al Shuara 1965 Place of publication, Lahore 
Talash-e-Mir (1974) 
Mir Ki Aap Beeti (1957) 
Maqalaat-e-Faruqi 2003 
Delhi College Magazine : Mir Number (1963) 
Kulliat -e - Mus hafi (Vol I & II ) 1968, Place of publication, Delhi 
Research Papers and Lectures in Various Institutions 
He has contributed more than 45 articles to standard journals of subcontinents and universities since 1952, some of the universities where Professor Nisar Ahmed Faruqi has delivered lectures are listed below: 
Aligarh Muslim University 
Barkatullah University, Bhopal 
Baroda University 
Bombay University 
Calicut University, Kerala 
CIEFL, Hyderabad (India) 
Devi Ahilya University, Indore 
Gujrat University, Ahmedabad 
Hyderabad Central University 
Jammu University 
Karnatak University, Dharwar 
Kashmir University, Srinagar 
Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 
Iran Cultural House, New Delhi 
Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi 
Lucknow University 
Maysore University 
Madras University 
Osmania University, Hyderabad 
Patna University 
Rajasthan University 
Karachi University etc.

Social Work

Professor Nisar Ahmed Faruqi established two Urdu Calligraphy Training Centers for boys and girls at Amroha U.P. sponsored by National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language under Ministry of Human Resource Development, Govt. of India, followed by a Baba Farid Computer Training Center and aGraphic Design Training Center at Amroha (U.P)

Apart from being a great scholar he had interest in writing poetry as well. But he was more into research work so he could not get time for this side of his talented personality. Among his family he has left four children, two sons Najmul Hadi and Nazrul Hadi and two daughters Shumaysa and Basima. His wife Razia Faruqi (1938-2008) also died after about 3 years from his death. Professor Nisar Ahmed Faruqi was a very open minded and generous person. He was always keen to help and guide the students and other scholars who sought his help.