Tribute to MMA President Mawlana Shah Ahmad Noorani-may Allah’s mercy be upon him!
“The turtle-dove sings its lament at dawn, and weeps.
My tears disturb her sleep and her tears disturb mine.
When she and I complain, we understand not each other.
But I know her grief and she knows mine.”
=Abul-Hasan an-Nuri.
The great Sunni scholar, spiritual guide, political leader, founder of the World Islamic Mission, inviter to Allah’s Religion, leader of the Jamiat e Ulama e Pakistan (JUP) and lately President of the MMA, His Excellency Mawlana Shah Ahmad Noorani al-Siddiqui, son of His Eminence Hazrat Shaykh Abdul ‘Aleem Siddiqui Meerathi (may Allah have mercy on them both)-who was a khalifa (spiritual heir) to His Eminence Imam e Ahle Sunnat Ala Hazrat Imam Ahmad Riza Khan Barelvi and one of the greatest Islamic scholars of the twentieth century and spiritual had of the Qadiri and Chishti Sufi orders –may his innermost being be sanctified!-has passed away of a heart attack earlier today in Islamabad and thus left the future of the MMA in doubt and also, more importantly, left Sunnis all of the world in deep grief at his passing.
His Eminence was born in Meerut, India in the holy month of Ramadan and became a hafiz-ul-quran (memorized the entire Holy Qur’an) at the tender age of eight. His noble lineage goes back to that of the greatest of human beings after the Prophets and Messengers, by ijma of this Ummah, Sayyidina Abu Bakr al Siddiq (may Allah be well pleased with him), the first Khalifah of the Prophet and the greatest of the Companions.
Noorani Sahib Graduated from the National Arabic College, Meerut,lndia and obtained the Fazil -e-Arabi degree from Allahabad University and completed the renowned classical dars-e-Nizami (at advanced or Fazil level) from Darul-Uloom Arabia, Meerut. He also learned from his eminent father.
After completing his education he started his full-fledged international missionary tours around the world soon after the birth of Pakistan. During his lifetime he held a number of important posts including:
• Honorary Secretary General of the WORLD MUSLIM ULAMA ORGANIZATION for 12 years thus working for the cause of Islamic Unity.
• Founder of WORLD ISLAMIC MISSION at Dar-ul-Arkam in Makkah al-Mukarramah in 1972
• President of INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC MISSIONARIES GUILD
• Presided over the International Islamic Conference held at Bradford, U.K., in April 1974 and subsequently elected the First President of the WORLD ISLAMIC MISSION.
In his political career Mawlana was elected as a Member of Parliament from Karachi in 1970 and subsequently elected Leader of the Parliamentary Party of the JAMIAT ULAMA - PAKISTAN (JUP) unanimously. He retained his Karachi seat for a long time and was a Senator.
Another overlooked contribution he made was as a member of the Constitution Committee of the Parliament, where His Eminence made more than 200 amendments and suggestions with a view to diverting the Constitution of 1972 towards democracy based on the principles of Islam. He was also the first scholar and member of parliament to demand that the Constitution of Pakistan included the definition of a Muslim and fought for the Finality of Prophethood to be included in this definition. His tireless efforts bore fruit when the Qadianis were declared kafirs and outside the pale of Islam officially in 1973 and Mawlana Noorani’s constant struggles resulted in the acceptance of Islam as the State religion of Pakistan.
More recently, Mawlana played a significant role in bringing most of the divergent Islamic political groups together in one alliance, the MMA, which he spearheaded in the national and provincial elections in October last year. Although the MMA had initially decided to rotate the Presidency of the alliance every six months, it was actually agreed to retain Noorani Sahib as the leader because of his qualities.
Unlike many other religious leaders in the country, he had always opposed the army’s involvement in politics, and remained part of the opposition’s campaign against successive military rulers. Maulana Noorani was also opposed to cutting a deal with the current government on the controversial constitutional amendments that give President Musharraf wide-ranging (and illegal) powers over the parliament.
It is with a heavy heart that I pen these words and it is with great sincerity that I pray to Almighty Allah to forgive Mawlana Noorani any sins he committed, willingly or unwillingly, for the sake of His Beloved Messenger and Darling Muhammad al Mustafa sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam and to protect him from the punishment of the Grave and to give him a place in Jannat al Firdaus and grant him the Intercession of Our Liegelord, the Beloved of the Lord of the Worlds, the Arabian Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) who is a Mercy unto the Universes! Ameen! For it was the love of Our Master Sayyidina Hadrat Muhammad (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) which, like other real Sunni ulama, Mawlana Noorani promoted all over the world.
Inna lillaha wa inna ilayhi raji’uun.
References:
http://members.tripod.com/~wim_canada/noorani.html.
BBC NEWS | South Asia | Pakistani opposition leader dies
