Ehsan Elahi Zaheer | |
|---|---|
احسان الٰہی ظہیر | |
| 1stAmeer ofJamiat Ahle Hadith | |
| In office March 1986 – 30 March 1987 | |
| Preceded by | post established |
| Succeeded by | Ibtisam Ilahi Zahir (as Ameer of JAHP) Sajid Mir (as Ameer of MJAH) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 31 May 1945 |
| Died | 30 March 1987(1987-03-30) (aged 41) |
| Party | Jamiat Ahle Hadith |
| Children | Ibtisam Ilahi Zahir Hisham Elahi Zaheer Motasim Elahi Zaheer |
| Parent | Haji Zahoor Elahi (father) |
| Education | University of Madinah |
Ehsan Elahi Zaheer (Urdu:احسان الہی ظہیرc. 31 May 1945 – 30 March 1987) was a PakistaniIslamic scholar who was the founder ofJamiat Ahle Hadith.[1]
He died from an assassin's bomb blast in 1987.[2] He was taken toRiyadh,Saudi Arabia in an injured condition.[3]
Zaheer was born in 1945 inSialkot into a deeply religious tradingPunjabi family of theKhatri community (Sethi clan) and was formally educated inAhl-e-Hadith establishments inGujranwala andFaisalabad before earningMasters in Arabic,Islamic studies, Urdu, and Persian at theUniversity of the Punjab and further continuing his studies inIslamic law at theUniversity of Madinah under many scholars.[1]
In 1972, Ehsan Elahi Zaheer joined the political partyTehreek-e-Istiqlal. After Ehsan Elahi joined the party, it became the second most popular party of Pakistan. Ehsan left the party in 1978.[citation needed]
In March 1986, Zaheer founded his political partyJamiat Ahle Hadith. Zaheer used to criticizeZia-ul-Haq. After Zaheer was assassinated, the party was led by his son Ibtisam Elahi Zaheer.[4]
On 23 March 1987, while Zaheer was giving a speech inLahore, a bomb which had been planted in the flowers on the stage exploded, severely injuring him. Upon the request of Saudi Grand MuftiAbd al-Aziz Ibn Baz, Zaheer was transferred to Saudi Arabia for treatment at The National Guard Hospital. However, the medics could not save him from his severe wounds. His funeral prayer was attended by thousands, includingPresident of Pakistan Zia-ul Haq,ISI chiefAkhtar Abdur Rahman, and thePakistani foreign ministerSahabzada Yaqub Khan.[3]
Zaheer's father-in-law Hafiz Muhammad Gondalvi (1897–1985) was also a famedAhl-e-Hadith scholar.[5]
Zaheer had three sons, themselves involved inIslamic scholarship andactivism: Ibtisam Elahi Zaheer, Hisham Elahi Zaheer and Motasim Elahi Zaheer.[6]
He mainly wrote in Arabic but his works have been translated into Urdu and many other languages:[7]
