Mohammed Iqbal Dar, the person credited with naming Tanzania, has died at age 80 after a long illness. He died in Birmingham, United Kingdom, where he had lived since 1965 after moving from Tanzania.

Born on August 8, 1944, in Tanga, Tanzania, Mohammed was the son of Dr. Tufail Ahmad Dar, a renowned doctor in the Tanga and Morogoro regions. Mohammed went to H.H. The Aga Khan School for his early and middle education, and in 1964, he attended Mzumbe Secondary School.

During his time at Mzumbe, Mohammed noticed an ad in The Standard newspaper asking for suggestions for a new name for the merged regions of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. He submitted his idea and won, receiving Sh200 and a medal from Sheikh Idrisa Abdul Wakil, the then Minister for Information.

His winning name, ‘Tanzania,’ was inspired by combining "TAN" from Tanganyika and "ZAN" from Zanzibar, adding "I" from his own name, and an "A" to honor the Ahmadiyya Muslim sect he belonged to.

Despite relocating to the UK, Mohammed kept his ties with Tanzania, frequently visiting and supporting various humanitarian projects. He was also a regular at the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jalsa Salana in Tanzania, an annual gathering.

In his lifetime, Mohammed often shared how he devised the name 'Tanzania’ with the help of his faith and simple creativity. His contribution to the country’s identity continues to be a significant part of Tanzania's history.