South Asia Index, an X media and news handle, recently posted three images showing books, claiming them as an exclusive leak.
The post reads: “Exclusive: Leaked images show the collection of books read by former Pakistani PM Imran Khan in jail.”
PTI founder and chairman Imran Khan has been in Adiala Jail for over two years. The three pictures show a total of 41 books. The X handle has 216.2K followers and follows five accounts, including Drop Site. Founded in July 2024, Drop Site describes itself as non-aligned and anti-establishment, according to Wikipedia, though some claim it is a pro-PTI platform.
The collection of books, which the post claims the former prime minister read during his time in jail, reflects the reader’s personality and intellectual inclinations.
Imran Khan: A faith reader or Israel Agent:
Imran Khan, regarded as one of the most popular politicians in Pakistan, has considered inclined towards Islamic learning. He believes Pakistan was created according to the vision of Allama Iqbal, the philosopher and national poet of Pakistan.
(Analysts in Pakistan are deeply divided on the purpose behind Pakistan’s creation. Some argue that Muhammad Ali Jinnah (Quaid-e-Azam) was secular, citing his speech to the first Constituent Assembly, in which he said that “religion has nothing to do with the business of the state.” Others refer to Jinnah’s frequent public speeches during the Pakistan Movement (1940–1947), where he stated that the Quran would be the constitution of Pakistan.)
Supporters of Imran Khan regard him as the greatest anti-establishment figure Pakistan has produced so far. His opponents strongly contest these claims. Some secular and independent analysts consider Khan’s views dangerous and unsuitable for a Muslim-majority country with nuclear weapons. They accuse him of using religion for political gains and label him pro-Taliban. Conversely, some right-wing opponents accuse him of being pro-Israel and a product of the “Jewish lobby.”
During his more than three-year tenure as prime minister, Imran frequently referenced the concept of Riyasat-e-Madina (the Madina State). He once shared a video clip of the late Islamic scholar Dr. Israr on his X handle, in which Israr discussed Iqbal’s vision for Pakistan. At the same time, Imran also visited Sufi shrines and participated in rituals such as bowing, which scholars like Dr. Israr consider sinful and contrary to Islamic teachings.
Books:
The books read by, according to claims, Imran Khan, clearly depicts his multisided approach to understanding Islam.
Among the 41 books, 29 are by Imran Nazar Hosein (Imran N. Hosein), an octogenarian Islamic scholar born into an Indo-Trinidadian family in Trinidad and Tobago. He studied in Karachi and later at various universities in Europe. Imran N. Hosein is known for his criticism of the Western-led world order, capitalism, and interest-based economics. He admired Hugo Chávez and Imran Khan and supports the Russia–China–Iran–Pakistan bloc.
The images show the following books by him:
1: The Quran and Russia’s Destiny
2: Constantinople in the Quran
3: Jerusalem in the Quran
4: The First Islamic Travelogue
5: The Importance of the Prohibition of Riba in Islam
6: The Religion of Abraham and the State of Israel
7: The Caliphate
8: An Islamic View of Gog and Magog in the Modern World
9: One Jamaat One Ameer
10: Signs of the Last Day in the Modern Age
11: The Messiah, the Quran and Akhir al-Zaman
12: Surah al-Kahf (Explanation and Commentary)
13: The Prohibition of Riba in Quran and Sunnah
14: Dajjal, the Quran and Awwal al-Zaman
15: The Quran, Dajjal and the Jasad
16: The Strategic Importance of Dreams and Visions in Islam
17: The Islamic Travelogue
18: Methodology for Study of the Quran
19: Surah Kahaf and the Modern Age
20: The Quran and the Moon
21: Islam and Buddhism in the Modern World
22: Explaining Israel’s Mysterious Imperial Agenda
23: Iqbal and Pakistan’s Moment of Truth
24: George Bernard Shaw and the Islamic Scholar (Text and commentary of their historic 1935 conversation)
25: Madinah Returns to Center-Stage Om Akhir Al-Zaman
26: The Gold Dinar and Silver Dirham: Islam and the Future of Money
27: Fasting and Power
28: The Quran, the Great War and the West
29: A Muslim Response to the Attack on America
Other Books:
The collection contains two volumes of The Life and Times of Muhammad Rasul Allah: Universalizing the Abrahamic Tradition by Tarik Jan, a senior research fellow at IPS. He also translated into English Syed Maududi’s famous book Islam and the Secular Mind: The Four Key Concepts of the Quran.
Additionally, the collection includes two volumes of The Quranic Foundation and Structure of Muslim Society by Muhammad Fazl-ur-Rahman Ansari (1914–1974), a prominent Pakistani Islamic scholar, philosopher, and missionary deeply influenced by Dr. Iqbal. Born in Saharanpur, British India, he studied at Aligarh Muslim University. His 1973 work explores the moral code and social obligations outlined in the Quran.
Other notable books in the collection include:
34: The Message of the Quran by Muhammad Asad, considered the most influential English translation and interpretation of the Quran. Asad was an Austrian Jew who converted to Islam.
35: Islam and Quran by Dr. Murad Wilfried Hofmann (1931–2020), a prominent German diplomat and author, who also wrote Journey to Makkah and Islam: The Alternative.
36: Riyad as-Salihin, a selection of hadith compiled by Imam Yahya ibn Sharaf an-Nawawi (1230–1277), a Sunni Shafi jurist and hadith scholar from Nawa near Damascus, Syria.
37: The Vision of Islam by Sachiko Murata and William C. Chittick, an introduction to Islam for Western readers exploring fundamental religious beliefs. Murata is a Japanese scholar of comparative philosophy and mysticism; Chittick is an American philosopher and translator of classical Islamic philosophical and mystical texts.
38: The Life of Mohammad by Nasreddine Dinet (1861–1929) and Sliman Ben Ibrahim (1870–1953). Dinet, a French orientalist painter, converted to Islam and immersed himself in Algerian culture. Sliman Ben Ibrahim was his close companion and collaborator.
Ibne Khaldun:
The collection also contains:
39: The Muqaddimah by Ibn Khaldun in English translation
40: Muslims by Ali Mahmood, a history book by a UK-educated Pakistani scholar with degrees in Politics, Economics, and Law; he has served in politics, spent time in jail, the Senate, and also worked as a businessman.
41: Al-Shifa by Qadi Iyad Al-Yahsubi, a seminal 12th-century work by the Maliki scholar and high judge of Granada and Ceuta, considered one of the seven saints of Marrakesh.
(Iftikhar Alam wrote this piece)
