Uzma Naheed

Founder & Director, IQRA Education Foundation

Uzma started her work in early 1980 when she produced her first audio cassette on stories from Quran giving authentic knowledge to Muslim children about various prophets in story form. The cassettes were developed with professional voices and sound effects to make them impressive.

The first cassette titled “Moosa (A.S.) aur Firaun# was a great success and shortly thereafter, she came out with four more cassettes titled Moosa & Firaun and Moosa and Bani Israel.

A Social Activist: Following the 1992-93 riots in Bombay, Uzma joined Bombay Aman Committee, a social organization working on rehabilitation. She established its women’s wing and worked tirelessly for many years.

Responding to the great need to provide Islamic education on modern scientific lines, IQRA Education Foundation Chicago (USA) was established. With a view to introduce this well-tested, comprehensive and systematic curriculum in India for the benefit of Muslim children, Uzma has in the year 2000 discussed with concerned Muslims of Bombay city and established Iqra Education Foundation, as a non-profit responding to the growing needs of Islamic Education for children, youths and adults. The goal of the program is to develop and Islamic personality through inculcation of Islamic values and nurturing of Islamic behavior. IQRA Program consists of books on various levels of education on varied subjects like; Qur’an, Hadith, Seerah, Fiqh, Aqaid, Akhlaq. The program is being taught in more than 40 countries all over the world. The vocabulary in the program is scientifically controlled for each level of study. IQRA curriculum has been translated into Urdu languages like Urdu, which is introduced in hundreds of schools all over the country. In the year 2006, the Hindi version of the curriculum was published, which was released in IQRA’s inter-faith program.

Uzma has helped in rehabilitation of poor families, particularly widows and orphans of those who lost their lives in civil disturbances, providing homes, arranging scholarships for children, making rations available for such families. It was during this period she learned that the poorest of the poor could not be fed on alms alone and they themselves should start economic activity to earn their livelihood decently. 

Uzma established an NGO named Assalah International during this period. While doing all her existing social work under the umbrella of this new organization, she started free technical courses for ladies in Mumbra near Mumbai.

Technical Institute for Girls: Uzma established Ladies Wing at M.H. Saboo Siddik Polytechnics managed and run by Anjuman-I-Islam. Twenty short time courses specially designed for Muslim girls were started including Fasion Designing, fabric, painting, screen printing and journalism both in Urdu and English. More than 3500 girls received diploma/certificates through these courses.  With a view to establish these girls in business, Uzma participated in various exhibitions and also organized a special exhibition to display and sell the products manufactured by these girls. 

In March 2017, Uzma was honoured with an International Award by World Trade Centre.

Uzma is an active member of Times Foundation of Times of India with whom IQRA has alos co-sponsored many inter-faith meetings. Uzma has been awarded by Times Foundation for her exemplary work. 

Through IQRA Education Foundation, Uzma has arranged 22 Teachers Training Programs, held in more than 15 cities across India and 2 cities in Bangladesh.

Uzma has addressed various fora over many years, including at the United Nations, various NGO conferences and also in the US by invitation of the US Government. She is also the Jt. Secretary-General of All India Education Movement, member Alliance of The United World – a Philippines based international NGO.