Syed Mahroof Hussain Shah: An Epitome of Goodness, Dedication

Ishtiaq Ahmed 

Bradford: People come and go from this world by a divine scheme of things   without leaving a trace but there are always a select few who are destined to leave an indelible legacy of servitude to illuminate our lives.

Syed Mahroof Hussain Shah, Pir Sahib as he was affectionaly referred to by his affiliates and others, was such a person.

Acknowledged as Mubalagh – e- Islam by his peers, Pir sahib returned to his maker on 17th July 2024 at the age of 88 after a lifelong of service, spanning over 6 decades,  to the British and European Muslims .

Pir Sahib was a person of immense wisdom, knowledge, foresight, endeavour and fortitude, the attributes which he selflessly applied for the betterment of  Muslims, leaving an indelible imprint on  the British and European landscapes.

In Britain, we find the skylines of our major towns and cities dominated by the domes and minarets. The calls of Azaans are to be heard everywhere. 

 Pir Sahib was rightly acknowledged as a forerunner of the movement that deemed establishments of Masajid and Centres of faith education as being the foremost priority for retention and enhancement of the Islamic way of life in a predominantly secular and relatively liberal social and cultural environment of British and European societies. 

Certainly a controversial personality as most pioneers are at the beginning but through his steadfastness he was able to win over the admiration and respect of even the most severe of his critics.

Hence, it was no surprise that over 15,000 people attended his Janazah from all the corners of the UK and beyond from Netherland, France , Austria and other parts of Europe, making it the largest ever Janazah gathering in Britain and Europe. 

Senior Muslim scholars of  various Islamic schools of thoughts attended in large numbers. The leaders of other faiths led by Right Reverend Toby Howarth, the Bishop of Bradford, conveyed messages of condolences and solidarity, praising Pir Sahib as a symbol of peace and harmony and unity who would sadly be missed by all. 

Pir Sahib was born In Chaksawari, District Mirpur, Azad Kashmir in 1936. He was of a noble Syed household, with lineage traced back to the household of Hazrat Ali , the father of Imam Hassan and Imam Hussain ( may Allah SWT be pleased them all).

His initial religious education was by his father, himself a devout religious person. From there he went on to complete his matriculation at the local High school before entering the world of Madaris which was to prepare him and set him on his way to his destiny of servitude.After completing his religious education at Ahsan-Ul -Madaris in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, in 1961, Pir Sahib took the bold step of leaving his homeland in the same year to come to the UK as many of his compatriots did those days.

At the age of 25 , he arrived at London Heathrow as was the case for most in those days arriving from Pakistan.

After spending two months in Birmingham, Pir Sahib decided to settle in Bradford where he remained for the remainder of his life , making it the hub and  fort for his Islamic work.

From here he launched his Islamic mission that was to go on to illuminate the length and the breadth of Britain and Europe.

From the very start of his life in the UK, Pir Sahib foresaw the challenges that South Asian Muslims would face in their new environment. These simple yet hardworking people principally focused  on earning a living to support their families back home.

 Pir Sahib genuinely feared that these newcomers, mainly young men away from the safety of their families and the protected faith environment of their home countries, were at the  risk of being led astray away from their faith beliefs and practice.

With more cash in their pockets with lack of family control and guidance, they were susceptible to the allure of their new liberal social and cultural environment. 

To counter this danger, he deemed the establishment of Masajid and the centres of faith education being  the foremost priority.

In the early days, religious fervour was scarce, and there was palpable reluctance to engage with Pir Sahib’s call. However, with limited means but an abundance of charisma and perseverance, Pir Sahib’s message began to resonate.

Over time, he galvanised a sufficient number of followers to establish Jamiyiate Tabligh Ul Islam (JTI) in 1963, which led to the establishment of the first JTI mosque in Southfield Square. This provided the much needed impetus for further development of Masajid and centres of faith learning in Bradford, the UK, and Europe.

From this humble beginning, Jamiyiat –Tabligh-Ul- Islam, led by  the inspirational leadership of Pir Sahib, went on to establish further 18 Masajid and learning centres in the city of Bradford which also included the Grand Central Mosque whilst providing impetus and support to similar developments in other towns and cities throughout the UK and Europe.

Along with the establishment of Masajid and Madaris, hundreds of Islamic scholars were also recruited and invited over from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and other parts of the world to support the functions of these institutions.

Pir Sahib’s leadership provided vision, impetus, inspiration, confidence and courage to develop Masjid and Madrasa as forts for protecting and enhancing the Muslim way of life.

He may not have been in the forefront of every Masjid and Madrassa built in the UK and Europe but his work provided impetus and inspiration to many.

Today, in the UK alone ,there are approaching two thousand Masajid  and Madaris , serving four million British Muslims. Pir Sahib was instrumental in initiating this movement that would remain his proud legacy.

Throughout the 80’s,  Pir sahib and his organisation  was in the forefront of establishing benchmarks for the Muslim beliefs and practice , for example, provision of halal school meals , Islamic R.E , Eid holidays , Islamic guidance on physical education and swimming  thus helping create and infuse an Islamic faith friendly schooling environment. 

To spearhead these changes Pir Sahib played a central role in the establishment of Bradford & District Council for Mosques in 1981  which was to become the forerunner of similar developments in other regions including the formation of the influential Muslim Council of Britain (MCB).

One of the most defining legacies of Pir Sahib was the controversy surrounding the publication of “Satanic Verses” by the disgraced author Salman Rushidie. The book attacked and questioned the sanctity of the Quranic revelation , the Prophet (PBUH), his household and his companions. 

For Pir Sahib these being the very foundation of the Islamic belief and practice could not be compromised and traded off.

This man of peace, pushed by the intransigence of the author and the publisher, was to spearhead a nationwide campaign galvanising Muslims across all denominations.

It became and continues to be a crucial benchmark for the unfolding of Islamic identity in British and European societies.

May Allah SWT grant Pir Sahib an elevated for his relentless servitude the Islamic deen and Muslims and for being the beacon of lights in British and European societies.

The author is a British citizen of Pakistani origin with a keen interest in Pakistani and international affairs.