Tableeghi Jamaat leader dies at 96
Haji Abdul Wahab, who dedicated his life to mission, passes away after prolonged illness
The Ameer of Tableeghi Jamaat, Haji Abdul Wahab, died in Raiwind yesterday at age 96, after a prolonged illness.
His funeral prayers were offered at Raiwind Ijtema Haveli after Maghrib prayers.
Haji Abdul Wahab was born in the suburbs of Delhi, India, on January 1, 1923. Later, he graduated from Islamia College, Lahore and joined the civil services as a Tehsildar in pre-partition India. He had also been affiliated with Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam.
After being inspired by the oration of Maulana Ilyas Kandehlvi, the founder of Tableeghi Jamaat — the Sunni Islamic movement — he went on to become an Islamic preacher after joining the Jamaat in 1944 during the life of Ilyas Kandhlawi.
He moved to Pakistan after partition of India in 1947, and founded Madrasa Arabia near Raiwind Railway Junction.
Man on mission
Upon joining the Tableeghi Jamaat at an early age, he decided to spend his remaining life in Tableegh (Dawah) and was with Maulana Ilyas until his death. He left his job later to actively participate in and focus on his role in the Tableeghi Jamaat.
Haji Abdul Wahab was stated to be a direct companion of Maulana Ilyas and one of the first five people in Pakistan who dedicated their life for Tabligeehi Jamaat.
He succeeded Haji Muhammad Bashir as Ameer of Tableeghi Jamaat, in 1992.
Based in Jamaat’s Markaz (headquarters) in Raiwind, he was head of the Shura (council) as well as a member of the movement’s Aalmi Shura (World Council) based in Nizamuddin, Delhi, in India.
He went on to visit every province and village of Pakistan, with the objective of reminding Muslims of their real purpose of life and to teach them Kalma and Namaz.