Mohammad Yusuf Siddiq E-mail: [email protected] ______
EDUCATION
Post Doctorate, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1991.
Post Doctorate, Fine Arts Department (Aga Khan Program for Islamic Art and Architecture), Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1989.
Ph.D., Department of Islamic Civilization, Umm al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia, 1987.
M.A., Department of Islamic Civilization, Umm al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia, 1984.
M.A., (Previous), Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Rajshahi University, Bangladesh, 1977.
B.A., Government College, Lahore, Pakistan, 1975.
F.A. (H.S.C.), Islamia College, Peshawar, Pakistan, 1973.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Visiting Faculty of Arabic, Gurmani Centre for Languages & Literature, Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Lahore – 54792, Pakistan, 2008 – Current.
H. E. C. (Foreign) Professor of Islamic History, Civilization and Culture, Department of Islamic Studies, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan, 2008 – Current.
Faculty Member, Department of Islamic History and Civilization, University of Sharjah, U.A.E., 2001 – 2007.
Founding Chair and Faculty Member, Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Zayed University, U.A.E., 1998 – 2001.
The Fellow of the Year 1997-98, Islamic Legal Studies Program, Harvard University, 1997-98.
Senior Fellow, Center for the Study of World Religions, Harvard University, 1996-97.
Associate Professor, Department of Islamic Studies, Islamic University, Bangladesh, 1996 -1997 (Chair of the Department during 1991-92).
Siddiq 1 Fellow, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Harvard University, 1989-95. Academic activities involved lectures, writing research papers, and chairing the study group on Islam in Medieval South Asia. Works included a research project on the Persian and Arabic inscriptions of medieval South Asia, funded by a research grant from Foundation Max Van Berchem in Geneva, Switzerland.
Research Associate and Post Doctoral Fellow, Aga Khan Program for Islamic Art and Architecture, jointly at M.I.T. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and Harvard University, 1987-89.
Visiting Mellon Fellow, Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, St. Cross College, Oxford University, U.K., 1991-92. Academic activities included a major research work on the social and intellectual history of the Islamic world.
COURSES TAUGHT
History of Diffusion of Islam, Contemporary Islamic Movements, Survey Course on Islamic History, Islamic Civilization, Islamic Culture, Modern and Contemporary Islamic World, History and Civilization of South Asia, World History, World Civilization, Early History of the Arabs, Ancient Near East, History of Islamic Calligraphy, Archaeology of Islam, Islamic Paleography and Epigraphy, History of Islamic Art and Architecture.
SUPERVISION OF POST-GRADUATE RESEARCHES, M.PHIL AND PH.D. DISSERTATIONS
Supervised several Doctoral and M.Phil. candidates at various prestigious universities.
Served as an external examiner of several doctoral dissertations at various leading universities of international reputation (including University of the Punjab).
Evaluated and reviewed a number of articles and books for several internationally reputed academic journals (e.g., Journal of the Asiatic Society) and publishers.
HONORS, AWARDS, FELLOWSHIP AND RESEARCH GRANTS
Higher Education Commission Grant for research on “Islam in South Asia in the Light of Epigraphic Evidences with Special Attention to its Eastern Frontier” 2008-2011.
Iran Heritage Foundation Research Grant for Scholarly Writing on Persian Inscriptions of South Asia, 2009-2010.
Sharjah University Highest Academic Award for the best contribution in field of humanities for the year 2006-2007.
Sharjah University Grant for Research on “Early Diffusion of Islamic Civilization in the Subcontinent”
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Islamic Legal Studies Program at Harvard Law School, The Fellow of the year 1997-98 for Research on “Muslim Commerce and Commercial Laws of Medieval South Asia”.
Center for the Study of World Religions, Senior Fellowship for Participation in the Director's Seminars on “Islamic Movements”, 1996-97.
Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, St. Cross College, Oxford University, Fellowship for Research on Social and Intellectual History of Islam in South Asia, 1991-92.
Foundation Max Van Berchem Grant for Research on Islamic Epigraphy of Medieval South Asia, 1989-91.
Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture, Fellowship for Research on the History of Islamic Calligraphy in South Asia, 1987-89.
Umm al-Qura University Merit Awards for Academic Excellence
MEMBERSHIP IN PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES
Member of Middle Eastern Studies Association Life Member of the Asiatic Society Life Member of History Society Life Member of the Epigraphic Society
CERTIFICATIONS
Certification in Arabic (teaching methodology for non-native speakers), Arabic Language Institute, King Abdul Aziz University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia, 1979.
Certification in Persian, Department of Languages, Rajshahi University, Bangladesh, 1977.
LANGUAGES
English, Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Bengali and Hindi. Working knowledge of Pushtu (Afghani) and French.
Siddiq 3 PUBLICATIONS
Books
Epigraphy in Islamic Culture: Arabic and Persian Inscriptions and their Historical Implications 1205 – 1707 (Harvard University, 2013 [forthcoming]).
Historical and Cultural Aspects of the Islamic Inscriptions: A Reflective Study of Some New Epigraphic Discoveries (Dhaka: International Centre for the Study of Art, 2010).
“Spiritual Dimensions of Islam: Sufism, Sheikhs and Khanqahs of Bengal”, in The Varied Facets of History: Essays in Honour of Aniruddha Ray, Edited by Ishrat Alam and Syed Ejaz Hussain, (Delhi: Primus Books, 2011), 125-159.
“Islamic inscriptions and their cultural implication”, in Studies in Indian Epigraphy : Journal of the Epigraphical Society of India, Edited by S. Subramonia Iyer, (Delhi: Caxton Publication, 2008), 17-21.
An Epigraphical Journey through Muslim Bengal (Written in Arabic under the title: Rihla Ma‘a al-Nuqush al-Kitabiyyah al-Islamiyyah fi Bilad al-Bangal ) Damascus: Dar al-Fikr, 2004.
“Ecology in the Islamic East,” in Islam and Ecology: A Bestowed Trust, Edited by Richard C. Foltz, (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2003).
The Encyclopaedia of Islam, New Edition (Leiden: E. J. Brill) s.v. "Ruhmi," "Satga’on," "Sikandar Shah," "Sonarga’on," "Sundarban," "Sylhet," "Tirhut," "Tribeni," "Titumir," "Tughra' in Muslim India," and "Yaghistan."
Studies in Islamic Civilization and Culture (Written in Arabic under the title: Darasat fi ’l- Thaqafah wa 'l-Hadara ’l-Islamiyya, Kushtia: Islamic University, 1992).
Arabic & Persian Texts of Islamic Inscriptions (Watertown, Massachusetts: South Asia Press, 1992).
“Splendour of the Adina Masjid Inscriptions at Pandua,” in Abdul Karim Commemoration Volume, Edited by Shamsul Hossain, (Dhaka: Adorn Publication, 2008), 53-63.
“Calligraphy as Cultural Expression in Bengal” in History, Civilization and Culture of Barind Region of South Asia: Professor Yaqub Ali Felicitation Volume, Edited by Shahnawaz and M. Salih, Written in Bengali under the title: Barendra Barenny (Dhaka: Somoy Prokashan, 2007), 507-520.
“Splendour of Writing in Muslim Bengal Architecture” in Abhijñan: Studies in South Asian Archaeology and Art History of Artefacts, Felicitating A.K.M. Zakariah, Edited by Shahnaj Husne Jahan, British Archaeological Reports, International Series S1974 (Oxford, 2009), 130- 143.
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"Epigraphy and Islamic History," in Inscriptions as Art in the World of Islam, edited by Habibeh Rahim (New York: AMS Press, INC., 2011[Forthcoming]).
Edited an Urdu book Barre Sagir Ka Islami Adab (Lahore, Nuqush Press, 2010).
Research Papers and Scholarly Articles
“Inscriptions as an Important Means for Understanding History of the Muslims”, Journal of Islamic Studies (Published by Oxford University Press for Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, University of Oxford, England, UK) vol. 20, issue 2 (May, 2009), 213-250.
“Calligraphy and Islamic Culture: Reflection on Some New Epigraphic Discoveries in Gaur and Pandua,” Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies (Published by Cambridge University Press for University of London) no. 1, vol. 68 (2005): 21-58.
"An Epigraphical Journey to an Eastern Islamic Land," Muqarnas: An Annual on Islamic Art and Architecture (Published by E. J. Brill, Leiden, Netherland for Harvard University) 7 (1990): 83-108.
“Socio-Cultural Expression in Mosque Architecture of Sultanate Bengal: With Special Reference to the Inscriptions of Adina Masjid,” Ancient Punjab, vol. 1, (2010), 97-129.
“Ecology and Nature in Islamic Culture and its Reflection on Islamic Art: With Special Attention to Architectural Calligraphy in Bengal)” Journal of Bengal Art, volume 15 (2010): 137-156.
“Diffusion of Islam & Articulation of a New Order,” Journal of the Research Society of Pakistan, vol. 45, no. 2 (January, 2009): 1-64.
“Epigraphy and Cultural Continuity: Examples from South Asia,” Journal of the Research Society of Pakistan, vol. 46, no. 1 (Forthcoming).
“Importance of Epigraphy in Islamic ) مسمل نبگال کے کتبات میں فن خطاطی کی مجالیایت سحر انگیزی Civilization and Culture”, written in Urdu,) Fikr-O-Nazr, (Published by Islamic Research Institute, International Islamic University, Islamabad) vol. 47, no. 1 (July-September 2009): 86-135.
“Importance of Epigraphy in Islamic Civilization and ) تاریخ و تہذیب میں کتبہ شنایس کی اہمیت Culture”, written in Urdu,) Fikr-O-Nazr, (Published by Islamic Research Institute, International Islamic University, Islamabad) vol. 47, no. 1 (July-September 2009): 86-135.
Siddiq 5 “Calligraphy as an Art in Architectural Inscriptions,” Jihat al-Islam (Published by Faculty of Islamic Studies, University of the Punjab) no. 2, vol. 1 (June, 2008), 81-110.
(Written in Arabic, Eng. Trans. of this title is: “Bengal in the Light of its Arabic Inscriptions”) Jihat al-Islam (Published Faculty of Islamic Studies, University of the Punjab) no. 1, vol. 2 (July-December, 2008): 151-170.
(Written in Arabic, translation of this title: “Splendor of Islamic Civilization and Culture”) al-Qalam (Published by the Department of Islamic Studies, University of the Punjab) no. 13, vol. 13 (June 2009): 416-445.
(Written in Arabic, translation of this title: “Splendor of Islamic Civilization and Culture”) al-Adwa’ (Published by Shaykh Zayed Islamic Centre, University of the Punjab) no. 32, vol. 24 (December 2009): 185-209.
“Epigraphy in the World of Islam: Some Newly Discovered Inscriptions” Pratnatattva (Journal of Archaeology), volume 16 (June 2010): 45-62.
“Eden Garden and Paradisiacal River in Worldly Palaces: Water Cosmology in Some Arabic Verses in Gaur (Bengal) and Granada, (Andalusia)” Journal of Bengal Art, volume 11 (2008): 227-236.
“Cultural Continuity in the Medieval World of Islam,” Sharjah University Journal for Shari‘ah and Humanities, no. 2, vol. 2 (2008).
" Mosque as a Form of Socio-Cultural Expression," Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, no. 2, vol. 52 (December 2007): 197-212.
“Advent of Islam in Bengal,” Dhaka University Journal for Islamic Studies, no. 1, vol. 1 (2007).
“Khan Jahan ‘Ali Mausoleum Complex Inscriptions at Khalifatabad” Journal of Bengal Art, volume 9-10 (2007).
"Epigraphy as a Source for the Study of Islamic Culture," Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh Golden Jubilee Volume, no. 1-2, vol. 50 (2005): 113-140.
"The Rise of Islam and Articulation of a New Order," Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, no. 1, vol. 45 (June 2000).
"Masjid, Madrasah, Khanqah and Bridge:Reflections on Some Islamic Inscriptions," Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, no 2, vol. 42 (December 1997).
"Epigraphy and Islamic Culture," Muslim Education Quarterly, no 3-4, vol. 8 (1991-92).
Siddiq 6 "Arabic Calligraphy in the Early Inscriptions," Muslim Education Quarterly, no 3, vol. 2 (1985): 77-88.
Papers Published in Arabic
"al-Khatt al-‘Arabi," (Arabic Writings), al-‘Arabiyyah no. 4, vol. 3 (2002).
"al-Nahda al-Fanniyya wa ’l-Mi‘mariyya fi ’l-Bangal ibban al-hukm al-Islami," (Growth of Art and Architecture in Bengal during Islamic Rule), al-Manhal (October-November, 1994): 290- 293.
"al-Khat al-‘Arabi wa Atharuhu ’l-Hadari," (Arabic Script and its Cultural Implications), al- Jami‘a al-Islamiyya 2 (April-June 1994): 173-204.
"al-Taqyim al-Adabi li ’l-Nuqush al-‘Arabiyyah al-Warida fi 'l-Nuqush al-Hindiyya," (Literary Evaluation of the Arabic Epigraphical Texts in the Indian Subcontinent), Sawt al-Umma (August 1992): 49-53.
"al-Khutut al-‘Arabiyya fi ’l-Hind," (Arabic Scripts in India) al-Manhal no 489, vol 53 (July- August 1991): 40-45; and no 490, vol 53 (August-September 1991): 18-22.
"al-Tughra' wa Istikhdamuha fi ’l-Kitabat al-‘Arabiyya," (Tughra and its Usage in the Arabic Inscriptions) al-Faysal 148 (1989): 95-100.
"Nash’at al-Khat al-‘Arabi," (Origin of Arabic Script), Manar al-Islam vol. 8, no. 3 (2004).
"Ahmiyyat Darasat al-Nuqush al-‘Arabiyyah," (The Significance of the Study of Arabic Inscriptions) Al-Manhal, no 264, vol 49 (July-August 1988): 90-97.
"al-Silat al-Mubakkira bayna ’l-‘Arab wa ’l-Bangal," (The Early Contacts Between Arabia and Bengal), Majalla al-Jami'a al-Salafiyyah (September 1987): 11-15.
"Madinat al-Ghawr, al-‘Asima al-Islamiyya al-’ál-Ula fi Bilad al-Bangal," (The City of Gaur: the First Islamic Capital of Bengal), Al-Manhal no 455, vol 48 (July- August 1987): 40-43.
"al-Kitaba al-‘Arabiyya," (The Development of Arabic Script), Majalla al-Jami'a al-Salafiyyah (May, June 1987): 44-54.
Selected Book Reviews
Islam in South Asia: A Regional Perspective by Asim Roy, in Muslim World Book Review, no. 1, vol. 18 (1998): 52-54.
Merchants & Faith: Muslim Commerce and Culture in the Indian Ocean by Patricia Risso, in Muslim World Book Review, no. 2, vol. 18 (1998): 32-33.
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Muslim Communities in Asia ed. by T. N. Madan, in Muslim World Book Review, no. 2, vol. 18 (1998): 43-45.
The Zia Episode ed. by Habib Zafarullah, in Muslim World Book Review, no. 2, vol. 18 (1998): 45-46.
The Fatimidis and their Traditions of Learnings by Heinz Halm, in Muslim World Book Review, no. 4, vol. 18 (1999): 31-33.
Royalty in Medieval India by K. A. Nizami, in Muslim World Book Review, no. 4, vol. 18 (1999): 21-23.
Advice on the Art of Governance : Mau‘izah-i-Jahangiri of Muhammad Baqir - An Indo- Islamic Mirror for Princes trans. Sajida Sultana Alvi, in Muslim World Book Review, no. 4, vol. 13 (1993): 42-44.
Subaltern Studies Vl : Writings on South Asian History and Society ed. Ranajit Guha, in Muslim World Book Review, no. 1, vol. 13 (1992): 42-44.
The Bengal Muslims 1871-1906 : A Quest for Identity by Rafiuddin Ahmed, in Muslim World Book Review, no. 1, vol. 11 (1990): 47-49.
Living Islam : East and West by Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri and Inner Secrets of the Path by Sayyid Haydar Amuli, in Muslim World Book Review, no. 4, vol. 10 (1990): 29-32.
Islam and Indian Culture by B.H. Pande, in Muslim World Book Review, no. 2, vol. 10 (1990): 30-31.
Architecture in Continuity : Building in the Islamic World Today ed. Sherban Cantacuzino, in Muslim World Book Review, no. 1, vol. 10 (1989): 26-29.
Islamic Heritage of Bengal by George Michell, in Muslim World Book Review, no. 4, vol. 5 (1985): 19-22.
LECTURES AND PRESENTATIONS
Spiritual Dimension of Bengal, 2nd International Conference on Religion and Spirituality in Society, Vancouver, Canada, February 20-22, 2012.
Calligraphy in Islamic Culture , World Congress for Islamic History and Civilization, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, October 10-11, 2011.
Khanqahs and Their Inscriptions, Dhaka University, March 3, 2011.
Siddiq 8 Spiritual Reflection in the Islamic Inscriptions, Bangladesh History Congress, Itihas Academy, Dhaka, Dhaka, February 18, 2011.
Titles in the Islamic Inscriptions, 9th International Congress on Bengal Art, Dhaka, Bangladesh, February 4-9, 2011.
An Ecological Journey through Medieval Muslim Bengal: Reflection of Nature in Islamic Architectural Calligraphy, 4th International Conference of the International Society for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia, December 16-19, 2010.
A Reflective Look into Some Arabic Inscriptions from Alhambra, Andalusia, and Gaur, Bengal, World Congress for Middle Eastern Studies, European Institute of the Mediterranean, Barcelona, Spain, July 19-24, 2010 (Also chaired the session).
Early Religious Interaction Between Hindu and Muslim in the Eastern Frontier of South Asia: Some Literary and Epigraphic Evidences , International Conference on Inter-cultural and Inter-religious Dialogue in Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism, Guwahati University, Assam, India, February 4, 2010.
Popular Imagination and Public Life in Medieval Baghdad: Alif Layla wa Layla and Medieval Arab Soceity, Reception of Arabian Nights in World Literature, Juwaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, February 21-23, 2010.
Regional Expression of Islam in Bengal and the beginning of Hindu-Muslim Encounter: Some Early Literary and Epigraphic Evidences, International Congress of Bengal Studies, University of Delhi, New Delhi 11007, February 25-28, 2010.
Episode of 1971 and the Emergence of Bangladesh, Institute of Education and Research, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan, December 16, 2009.
Epigraphy and its Importance in Archaeology, Department of Archaeology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan, March 29, 2009.
Calligraphy as a Decorative Art in Islamic Architecture, Department of Architecture, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan, April 16, 2009.
Cultural Continuity in the Medieval World, University of Liberal Arts, Dhaka, Bangladesh, August 7, 2009.
Cultural Influence of Persia in South Asia, International University of Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh, February 21, 2009.
Persian in Bengal, Department of Islamic History, Kolkata University, Kolkata, West Bengal India, February 14, 2009.
Siddiq 9 Reflection of Ecology and Nature in Some Sultanate Inscriptions, 8th International Congress on Ancient and Medieval Art of Eastern India, Visva –Bharati, , Santiniketan, West Bengal, India, February 09-12,2009.
Advent of Persian Language in South Asia: Two Interesting Epigraphic Evidences from the Suburb of Gaur, International Conference on Indo-Persian Relation, Department of Persian, Guwahati University, Assam, India, February 2-4, 2009.
Globalization in the Medieval World of Islam, Department of Islamic History, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh, August 14, 2008.
Islam and the West, Dawah Academy, International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan, May 16, 2008.
New World Order, Dawah Academy, International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan, May 17, 2008.
Islam and Globalization, Department of Sociology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan, January 31, 2008.
Cultural Continuity in the Islamic World, Department of Islamic Studies, Dhaka University, Bangladesh, November 9, 2007.
A Tale of Two Fabulous Inscriptions: An Epigraphic Journey through Nim Darwaza and Chand Darwaza of Mianahdar in Gaur, 7th International Congress on Bengal Art, Bogra, Bangladesh, February 8-11, 2007.
Art of Calligraphy in Islamic Culture, Institute of Bangladesh Studies, Rajshahi University, Bangladesh, August 6, 2006.
Advent of Islam in South Asia, A few Early Sources, Department of Islamic Studies, Dhaka University, Bangladesh, July 7, 2006.
Religious and Cultural Continuity between Arab World and Bengal during Medieval Period, Second World Congress of Middle Eastern Studies, Amman, Jordan, June 11, 2006.
Early Islamic Inscriptions of Bengal, International Centre for the Study of Art, Dhaka, August 18, 2005.
Islamic Civilization and Ecological Awareness: Environmental Issues in South Asia, Asiatic Society, Dhaka, August 16, 2005.
How to Approach History of South Asia, Prince Jalawi Center for Research and Islamic Studies, Sharjah, February 27, 2005.
Islamic Architecture in South Asia, Institute of Architectural Studies, Dhaka, August 6, 2002.
Siddiq 10 Islamic Inscriptions as a Source of Information for Medieval South Asia , Fifth Arab Conference on Information, Damascus, July 4, 2002.
The Early Rooting of Islam in Bengal, International Conference on Asian Studies, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, November 24-27, 1999.
Commerce and Faith: Reflection on the Early Spread of Islam in South Asia, Islamic Legal Studies Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, April 1, 1998.
The Rise of Islam in Bengal and the Articulation of a New Order, Phillips Brooks House, Harvard University, Cambridge, March 11, 1997.
The Diffusion of Islam in South Asia: an Epigraphic Approach, Center for the Study of World Religions, Harvard University, Cambridge, March 3, 1997.
Islamic Inscriptions of South Asia, International Conference on Inscriptions in the World of Islam, Hofstra University, New York, April 27, 1996.
Madrasas and Khanqahs in South Asia and Their Role in Islamic Education, St. Cross College, Oxford, U.K., March 3, 1992.
Epigraphy and Islamic Culture in South Asia, Annual Conference of the Association of Muslim Social Scientists, Detroit, Michigan, October 27, 1990.
Epigraphy as a Source Material for Islamic History in South Asia, Seminar on Islamic History, State University of New York, Buffalo, May 27, 1990.
Art and Architecture from the Point of View of Shari‘a , Center for Middle Easter Studies, Harvard University, Cambridge, March 22, 1990.
Romance of an Eastern Islamic City in South Asia, Center for Middle Easter Studies, Harvard University, Cambridge, February 12, 1990.
Islam's Approach towards Archaeology, Annual Conference of the Association of Muslim Social Scientists, State University of New York, College at Brockport, October 27, 1989.
An Epigraphic Journey to an Eastern Islamic Land, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, Harvard University, Cambridge, April 10, 1989.
Happiness Here and Hereafter-an Islamic Perspective, Holyoke Community College, Springfield, Massachusetts, March 15, 1989.
Harvard University, Cambridge, Arabic Inscriptions of South Asia and Their Cultural Implications, Aga Khan Program of Islamic Art, Fine Arts Department, Sackler Museum, April 22, 1988.
Siddiq 11 History of Islamic Calligraphy in South Asia, 13th Annual Conference of Epigraphic Society of India, Gauhati, Assam, December 10, 1987 (Presided over the session on Indo-Muslim Epigraphy).
Siddiq 12