"Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return." (Surah Baqarah:156)
As many of you know, yesterday the Ummah suffered a tremendous loss. Ameer (leader) of Tableeghi Jamaat (Muslim Movement) in Pakistan, Haji Abdul Wahab, died almost at the age of 96 on Sunday in Raiwind, Lahore; after a protracted illness (dengue fever).
He was the last remaining link with the founders and elders of Tableegh, and the driving force behind the establishment of Raiwind as a Markaz (centre) for spreading Deen. Born on January 1, 1923 in Delhi, he went on to become Islamic preacher after joining the movement during the life of Tableeghi Jamaat founder Muhammad Ilyas Kandhlawi.
He originally hailed from Karnal district in India and belonged to the Rajput tribe. He is said to have attended Islamia College, Lahore, and also joined the civil service, working as Tehsildar in pre-partition India. He was also affiliated with Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam in his youth.
Maulana Abdul Wahab joined the Tableeghi Jamaat in 1944 and later left his job to work for the movement. He was also known as the direct companion of Maulana Muhammad Ilyas. He is considered as one of the first five people in Pakistan who offered their entire life for Tabligeehi Jamaat, spreading Islamic knowledge. Upon joining the Tableeghi Jamaat at an early stage of his life, he decided to spend his remaining life in Tableegh (Dawah) and was with Maulvi Ilyas till his death. After 1947, Haji Wahab migrated to Pakistan with a few other colleagues and founded Madarssa Arabia in Raiwind junction Lahore.
He went on to visit every province and village of Pakistan for Tableegh. The main focus of his first visit was to teach Kalma and Namaz (prayer) to people at an early stage along with getting education, respecting humanity and spending life in Tableegh. He organised Tableeghi Ijtema (religious congregation) across Pakistan and was the founder of various Tableeghi Markaz in the big cities throughout the country.
Based in Jamaat's headquarters in Raiwind Markaz near Lahore, he was the head of Shura (council) as well as a member of the movement's (Aalmi Shura) World Council based in Nizamuddin, Delhi India.
Maulana Nazar-ur-Rehman led the funeral prayer of the widely known Muslim scholar. A crowd of almost half-a-million was present in his funeral prayer on 18 of November 2018. According to Express News, the funeral prayer was offered after Maghrib prayer. Many people thronged to the Raiwind Markaz after receiving reports of Haji Abdul Wahab's death.
Interestingly, only one flight from Karachi to Lahore gave the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) a huge amount of Rs22.5 million as people rushed the Karachi Airport to go to Lahore for attending the funeral prayer of the renowned scholar. There were approximately 450 passengers.
Condolences
Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed deep grief and sorrow over the sad demise of Haji Abdul Wahab, as reported by Radio Pakistan.
He said:
“Invaluable services rendered by Haji Abdul Wahab as a religious scholar will always be remembered.”
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain also expressed deep grief over the sad demise of Haji Abdul Wahab. He said Haji Abdul Wahab rendered innumerable services for preaching and spreading the message of Islam. He added that the Ameer Tableeghi Jamaat proved through his conduct that sentiments of peace and love can bring lasting changes in the mindset and character of a person. He also stated that the annual Tableeghi Ijtema at Raiwind is considered the largest gathering of Muslims after Hajj.
Federal Minister for religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Noor-ul-Haq Qadri also expressed grief over the death of Maulana Abdul Wahab. Moreover, Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar has also expressed deep grief over the his sad demise. Abdul Wahab’s constant message was this:
"sab kuch Allah se hota hai, Allah ke ghair se kuch nai hota" (Everything happens by the Will of Allah(SWT), nothing happens by other than Allah).
He was responsible for hundreds of thousands of people turning their lives around, being one of the most influential Muslims in the world. His concern for the Ummah was unrelenting. He was also ranked as the 14th most influential Muslim in the world in the annual “Muslim 500” report.
May Allah(SWT) accept Haji Sahab's efforts and grant him a high rank in Jannah. May we get Taufeeq to follow his footsteps by calling people to Deen (Islam), and may He give the Muslim Ummah an able replacement to carry on this noble work. Ameen. Please take out some time to recite Surah Fatiha for him, and pray for the health and well-being of all.
To learn the prayers (duas) for deceased, read Duas for deceased and recite Quranic verses about death
