Pakistan’s Tableeghi Jamaat leader dies at 96
Haji Abdul Wahab passes away after prolonged illness
Lahore: The Ameer of Tableeghi Jamaat, Haji Abdul Wahab, died here on Sunday after a prolonged illness, at age 96, in Raiwind.
His funeral prayers will be 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 in his youth.
After being inspired by the oration of Maulana Ilyas Kandehlvi, the founder of Tableeghi Jamaat, 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 1947, and founded Madarssa Arabia near Raiwind Railway Junction.
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 Maulana Ilyas till 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 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 for Tableegh, with the objective of reminding Muslims of their real purpose of life and to teach them Kalma and Namaz (prayer).