Ahmed's parents were Pakistani doctors who were living in Singapore at the time of his birth. He was born at
Mount Alvernia Hospital, educated at
Anglo Chinese School, Singapore and
Caterham School, before studying at
International Islamic University Malaysia. After work as a journalist in
Afghanistan, he gained a master's degree at the
American University in Cairo and his PhD at
Princeton University. He was a junior member of the
Harvard Society of Fellows (2000–2003), and served as a Visiting Lecturer and Research Fellow at
Princeton University (2004–2005), Associate Professor of Islamic Studies at Harvard University (2005–2014),
Higher Education Commission of Pakistan Visiting Scholar at the Islamic Research Institute in
Islamabad (2007–2008), and Lecturer on Law and Research Fellow in Islamic Legal Studies at
Harvard Law School (2014–2015). A
polyglot who was "master of perhaps 15 languages", He died of
leukemia on 17 September 2015, In a posthumous presentation about him, Shahab Ahmed's sister highlighted her brother's fondness and appreciation for good wine. In this regard, she noted that "he felt very much in good company with
Jahangir, with
Ghalib, and with other writers [...] he adored." ==Publications==