The Ghanaian Minaret

Pakistan – Haji Abdul-Wahab, the leader of one of the largest Muslim movements, the Tablighi Jama’at, has passed away on Sunday morning after prolonged illness.

He was being treated for dengue fever at a private hospital in Lahore.

Wahab was born in January 1923 in Delhi and migrated to Pakistan after the partition.

The 95 year old was a beloved scholar and caller to Islam who was born in pre-partition India.

At the age of 21, he joined the school of Muhammad Ilyas Kandhlawi in Nizamudeen. After 6 months, he quit his job as a civil servant and dedicated his life to the Tablighi Jama’at, being one of the first 5 people in Pakistan to do so.

Under Haji Abdul-Wahab leadership, the followers of the Tablighi Jama’at now number between 12 and 150 million followers, with their annual gathering, called the Ijtema, being the second largest gathering of Muslims after the hajj pilgrimage.

He was ranked as the 14th most influential Muslim in the world in the annual “Muslim 500” report.

The passing of Haji Abdul-Wahab was greeted with sadness by many around the world, with the President of Pakistan, Imran Khan, tweeting:

“Prayers and condolences on the passing of Ameer Tableeghi Jamaat Haji Abdul Wahab. He made a major contribution in spreading the message of Islam and peace; and he leaves behind a vacuum which cannot be filled easily.”