the 500 most influential muslims - The Royal Islamic Strategic ...

Leader of the Pakistan chapter of the Tablighi
Jamaat—a transnational Islamic organization dedicated
to spreading the message of religious conservatism
and renewed spirituality—Hajji Abd al Wahhab
is a prominent Pakistani scholar with a significant
following in South Asia and the United Kingdom.
Although the organization does not have a central
authority, Abd al Wahhab has been increasingly influential
in his leadership of the throngs of Muslims
that follow the international movement in Pakistan
and abroad.
Missionary
As ameer, or leader of Pakistan's Tablighi Jamaat,
Hajji Abd al Wahhab's influence spans globally due
to the organization's emphasis on missionary work.
Considered a foremost da'ee, or inviter to the faith
of Islam, Abd al Wahhab has spoken about the need to return to the correct beliefs and
practices of Islam in numerous countries and congregations.
Champion of Conservatism
Abd al Wahhab urges Muslims to repent for their sins and to emulate the life of the
Prophet Muhammad by adhering to the sunna—the Prophet's teachings and deeds.
Among these is an exhortation to partake in the act of da'wa or spreading the message of
the faith. The Tablighi Jamaat has gradually acquired a massive membership base owing
to this core tenet. His work is derived from close ties with the founder of the Tablighi
Jamaat, Maulana Muhammad Ilyas Kandhelvi, and stems from the prominent Islamic
institution Darul Uloom Deoband, in India, where the latter studied before establishing
a following in Pakistan.
Mass Appeal
Among the throngs of Pakistanis, diaspora South Asians, and others who carry the flag
of the Tablighi Jamaat are notable Muslim leaders. In Pakistan alone, Abd al Wahhab's
influence has won the allegiance of prominent politicians, actors, and athletes. Despite
his influence over key Muslim leaders from various fields of social power, he is consistent
in his assertion that the organization is wholly apolitical—identifying the work of the
Tablighi Jamaat as a spiritual revivalist movement.
Advocate of Non-violence
In light of heightened incidences of violence by fringe Islamic militant groups, Abd al
Wahhab has publicly stated the importance of non-violence in bringing people closer to
the faith of Islam. This comes after the tragic Mumbai attacks which investigations found
were linked to the Pakistan-based, Lashkar-e-Taiba; a militant organization Abd al Wahhab
has made a point of distancing the Tablighi Jamaat from.
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hajji MohaMMed abd al wahhab
Ameer of Tablighi Jamaat, Pakistan
Country: Pakistan
Date of Birth: 1923
Source of Influence: International
Islamic Networks, Scholarly,
Administrative
Influence: Leader of a Pakistanbased
organization with chapters
in 120 countries, an annual
conference in Pakistan, the
Raiwind Tablighi Ijtima, which
drew 1.5 million attendees in
2008, and the Biswa Ijtima
conference in Bangladesh that
attracts approximately three
million members each year
School of Thought: Traditional
Sunni, Hanafi