MAHMUDAH BEGUM QURESHI
Patient, consistent positive energy laced with kindness was the hallmark of Mahmudah Begum Qureshi. Born in 1917 in the shadow of war, she lived her first five years with her mother and grandparents while her father was sent to war to minister to the sick British soldiers. Born in Risalpur, she traveled all over undivided India with her parents settling in wherever her fath
er was posted as a physician in the Civil Services of India of those days. She grew up going to British schools, convent schools and local indigent Indian schools. It inspired her to make a hybrid private school in Karachi with progressive educational ideas that promoted mindful practices, Always keeping the responsibility to the universe in mind. She was deeply conscious of the rights of others, which included humans, animals and even things. She was the pioneer in prohibiting wastefulness starting at home and extending to the 15 schools she administered.
“Why do you walk so much?” I had once asked. “ I want to be healthy so that I am not a burden on anyone. Her wellness stemmed from “kifaya” in food and words.
“You have an internal sense of rightness, follow that…” and remember to be aware that Allah is watching you and all negative actions have to be censored from within you not from external forces. She was the pioneer founder of the formal Islamic School of Augusta from which her grandchildren graduated. She was deeply interested in the wellbeing of people she met and looked for the best in them. She passed away in April of 2005, leaving behind a legacy of a life led with wellness and mindfulness in every walk of life. This Institute honors her legacy of Wellness and Mindfulness and extends it to the public for their internal and external wellbeing.