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HAJJI MOHAMMED ABD AL WAHHAB
Amir of Tablighi Jamaat, Pakistan
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 Amir, 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.
Country: Pakistan
Date of Birth: 1923
Source of Influence: International
Islamic Networks, Scholarly,
Administrative
Influence: Leader of a Pakistan-based
organization with
chapters in 120 countries, an
annual conference in Pakistan,
the Raiwind Tablighi Ijtima,
which drew over 1.5 million attendees
in 2009, and the Biswa
Ijtima conference in Bangladesh
that attracts approximately
three million members
each year
School of Thought: Traditional
Sunni, Hanafi
Rank: 2010:16 · 2009:15 �
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. Abd
al Wahhab’s work is derived from close ties to 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, Abd al Wahhab 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.