Book Name:Ameer e Ahl e Sunnat Ka Ishq e Rasool
Dear Islamic brothers! Dawat-e-Islami’s founder, the Ameer of Ahl al-Sunnah, Mawlana Ilyas Attar al-Qadiri دَامَـتْ بَـرَكَـاتُـهُـمُ الْـعَـالِـيَـهْ, was born on Wednesday 26th Ramadan 1369 AH. This corresponds to the 12th of July 1950. Born and raised in Pakistan’s well-known city of Karachi, his teknonym is Abu Bilāl, and his pen name when writing poetry is Attar.
He was a very straightforward person right from his childhood. The people of his neighbourhood who know him from this time say, “Even in childhood if someone told him off or even hit him, he would not resort to vengeance. He would remain silent and patient. We have not seen him speaking ill of or arguing with anybody even as a child.”
The Ameer of Ahl al-Sunnah began acquiring Islamic knowledge from a young age. His days passed reading books and spending time with Islamic scholars. For example, he spent 22 years consistently studying with the previous grand mufti of Pakistan, Mufti Waqār al-Dīn رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه.
The renowned mufti also issued successorship and certification to the Ameer of Ahl al-Sunnah. Adding to this, Mufti Sharīf al-Ḥaqq al-Amjadī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه also granted him spiritual successorship in the four spiritual orders (Qādiriyyah, Chishtiyyah, Naqshbandiyyah and Suharwardiyyah).
In September 1981, the Ameer of Ahl al-Sunnah formally initiated Dawat-e-Islami. Although he called to righteousness and worked to spread Islam before this, the founding of Dawat-e-Islami is considered the official beginning of his endeavours in this field.
Thus, under the slogan of, “I must strive to reform myself and people of the entire world اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه”, he gave his days and nights for this noble cause. He strived relentlessly and consistently. By the grace of Allah Almighty, bestowal of the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, and support of the saints رَحِمَهُمُ الـلّٰـهُ, Dawat-e-Islami’s message spread worldwide.