Rafiuddin Hashmi

Dr. Rafiuddin Hashmi (9 February 1940 – 25 January 2024) was a distinguished Pakistani scholar, researcher, and travel writer, best known as one of the foremost authorities on Allama Iqbal’s poetry and thought (Iqbaliyat). Born in Masriyal, District Chakwal, he completed his MA in Urdu from Oriental College, Lahore, and earned his PhD from the University of the Punjab with a thesis on Iqbal’s works. He taught Urdu for over 35 years, eventually serving as head of the Urdu Department at Oriental College, Punjab University, and also directed research for the Urdu Encyclopaedia of Islam project. Dr. Hashmi authored more than 40 books and numerous research papers on Iqbal studies and Urdu literature, and supervised many MA, MPhil, and PhD dissertations. He remains one of the most respected names in Iqbal scholarship in Pakistan.