Muhammad Abdul Wahab Siddiqi (1942–1994) was a Pakistani

Sunni Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

religious scholar and

Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...

master.

Early life

He was born in 1942, the third son of Muhammad Umar Icharvi, one of

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

's leading Sufi scholars of the time, who held the honorary title of ''Munazare-Azam'' (the greatest debater) because of his success in defeating the leaders of rival Islamic sects. Despite being the third son, Abdul Wahab was made the head of the branch of the

Naqshbandi The Naqshbandi ( fa, نقشبندی)), Neqshebendi ( ku, نه‌قشه‌به‌ندی), and Nakşibendi (in Turkish) is a major Sunni order of Sufism. Its name is derived from Baha-ud-Din Naqshband Bukhari. Naqshbandi masters trace their ...

Sufi order by his father. He founded or co-founded a number of important Islamic Institutions in the United Kingdom and established the Hijazi Sufi Order.

Founder of the Hijazi branch of the Naqshbandi Sufi Order

Abdul Wahab is the founder of the Hijazi Naqshbandiya Sufi Order. Before his death he passed on his position as head of the order to his eldest son. Shaykh Faiz-ul-Aqtab Siddiqi. The Sufis of Britain by Ron Geaves, Cardiff Academic Press, 1999

Founding member of Muslim Parliament

Abdul Wahab was one of the founding members of the

Muslim Parliament The Muslim Parliament of Great Britain is a Muslim organisation founded in 1992 in London by Kalim Siddiqui, Director of the Muslim Institute, based on a proposal published in July 1990 under the title ''The Muslim Manifesto''. The Muslim Parliame ...

and helped draft the Muslim Manifesto He was the vice-chair of the Muslim Parliament at the time of his death

Founder of Hijaz College

Abdul Wahab Siddiqi was the founder of the

Hijaz College Hijaz College is a British Muslim school located in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England. Hijaz College combines traditional Islamic education with the British National Curriculum. The philosophy of Hijaz was formulated by its patron and founder A ...

based in

Nuneaton Nuneaton ( ) is a market town in the borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth in northern Warwickshire, England, close to the county border with Leicestershire and West Midlands County.OS Explorer Map 232 : Nuneaton & Tamworth: (1:25 000) : Nuneaton's ...

. Abdul Wahab Siddiqi envisioned that the college would be the first of many educational institutions to revive a model of Islamic Education whereby students learnt both traditional Islamic subjects alongside modern physical and social sciences, philosophy and mathematics, alongside traditional spirituality or

Sufism Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, r ...

Founder of International Muslim Organisation

Abdul Wahab Siddiqi was the Founder of the International Muslim Organisation a political body to unite Muslims in different countries to highlight Islamic Values, Civilization, forming Islamic Centres, opening schools, constructing mosques and forming research centres. It has branches in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Canada, Trinidad, Australia and Sri Lanka.

Tomb

Abdul Wahab Siddiqi was considered a ''qutb'', a very high form of ''

awliya' A wali (''wali'' ar, وَلِيّ, '; plural , '), the Arabic word which has been variously translated "master", "authority", "custodian", "protector", is most commonly used by Muslims to indicate an Islamic saint, otherwise referred to by the ...

'' (Muslim saint) and as per custom in the Muslim world, a '' dargah'' has been built over his grave which is in the grounds of

. It is the only one in western Europe.

"Blessed Summit"

This is an annual event at Hijaz College, aimed at inspiring the British youth to adhere to classical Islam. The Blessed Summit encourages its many guests to reflect upon their lives, and take inspiration from the life of Abdul Wahab Siddiqi.

Children

Abdul Wahab Siddiqi trained his four sons in the traditional Islamic sciences and they have all subsequently been educated as professionals, they are: * Shaykh Faiz-ul-Aqtab Siddiqi Barrister-at-Law, * Shaykh Noor-ul-Aqtab Siddiqi Solicitor, * Shaykh Zain-ul-Aqtab Siddiqi Solicitor, * Shaykh Qamar-ul-Aqtab Siddiqi Surgeon. His daughter is married to the present CEO of Hijaz College Shaykh Tauqir Ishaq who is also a qualified Civil Engineer.Pages 77-8 Ulema-e-Ahle-Sunnah, Mashaikh & Sufis in U.K., Khalid Athar,

References

External links

Hijazi Naqshbandi OrderHijaz CollegeInternational Muslims OrganisationSiddiqi's Urdu Speech about Ahle-ul-Bayt
at Video.aol.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Siddiqi 1942 births 1994 deaths 20th-century Muslim scholars of Islam Pakistani Sufi religious leaders Naqshbandi order