Table of Contents
WHO IS MAULANA SAAD?
- Maulana Muhammad Saad, Amir (chief) of the Tablighi Jamaat, was born on May 10, 1965. He is the grandson of Maulana Muhammad Ilyas, the founder of Tablighi Jamaat. He heads one faction of the Tablighi Jamaat.
- Tablighi Jamaat literally the Outreach Society is an Islamic missionary movement that focuses on urging Muslims to return to practising their religion as it was practised during the lifetime of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and particularly in matters of ritual, dress and personal behaviour.
A BRIEF HISTORY
- The movement was founded in 1927 by Muhammad Ilyas al-Kandhlavi in Mewat region of India in accordance with the teachings and practices that take place in The Prophet’s Mosque and Ashabus Suffah Tabligh.
- Maulana Saad became the Amir of the Tablighi Jamaat on November 16, 2015. He studied Maulviyat from the madrasa Kashif-ul-Uloom located in a part of the Nizamuddin Markaz (centre).
- Maulana Saad has three sons and daughters. Apart from the Markaz in the Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti, he also has a home in Zakir Nagar in Delhi and Kandhla in UP.
SPLIT
- Maulana Saad was also a member of ‘Shura’ (central consultative council) of the Tabligh Jamaat from 1995 to 2015. The Amir is selected by the Central Advisory Council (Shura) of Tablighi Jamaat and elders of the Jamaat and is appointed for life.
- The first emir was Maulana Muhammad Ilyas Kandhalvi, later his sons were Maulana Muhammad Yusuf Kandhalvi and then Maulana Inam ul Hasan.
- A meeting was held in Raiwind Markaz on November 16, 2015, to fill up the vacant spaces of the shura legislation and a new shura consisting of 13 members including Muhammad Abdul Wahhab was formed.
SPLIT
- Maulana Saad Kandhlavi did not agree with this shura and declared himself as the head of Tablighi Jamat. He leads the Nizamuddin Markaz faction of the Tablighi Jamaat.
- Maulana Saad has roughly 100 crore followers in 214 countries. By some measures, this makes the Tablighi Jamaat the largest Muslim movement in the world. The majority of the followers of the Tablighi Jamaat live in South Asia.
INFLUENCE
- While there is no formal process for membership of the Tablighi Jamaat nor is a member list maintained, many well-known people and popular personalities of India and the world have been associated with this Jamaat.
- Former President of India Zakir Hussain was associated with the Tablighi Jamaat.
- Former Chief Minister of Punjab province of Pakistan Parvez Elahi is also a strong supporter of Tablighi Jamaat. Maulana Tariq Jameel is a prominent member of the Tablighi Jamaat, who oversees the Jamaat’s work in Pakistan. He recently met Pakistan PM Imran Khan.
CASE AGAINST MAULANA SAAD
- The Delhi Police on Tuesday registered an FIR against Maulana Saad of the Nizamuddin centre under sections of Epidemic Disease Act and other sections of the Indian Penal Caode for violating government orders on the management of the Markaz in relation to social, political or religious gatherings.
- In the FIR, the Delhi Police also named Dr Zeeshan, Mufti Shehzad, Mohammed Ashraf, Saifi Yunus, Mohammed Salman — other members of the shura.