Muhammad Saad Kandhlawi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Ameer of Tablighi Jamaat (Nizamuddin Markaz) in India | |
| Assumed office 16 November 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Personal life | |
| Born | 10 May 1965 (1965-05-10) (age 60) |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Alma mater | Madarsa Kashiful Uloom, Hazrat Nizamuddin |
| Occupation | PreacherIslamic scholar, Da'i ofTablighi Jamaat |
| Relatives | Mohammed harun kandhlawi (father)Muhammad Yusuf Kandhlawi (grandfather)Muhammad Ilyas Kandhlawi (great-grandfather)Salman Mazahiri (father-in-law) |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Islam |
| Denomination | Sunni |
| Movement | Da'wah |
| Muslim leader | |
Muhammad Saad Kandhlawi (born 10 May 1965) is an Indian Muslim scholar and preacher. He is the great-grandson of theTablighi Jamat founderMuhammad Ilyas Kandhlawi.[1][2] He heads theNizamuddin faction of theTablighi Jamat.[3][4]
Saad Kandhlawi was born on 10 May 1965 (1385AH) in Western Uttar Pradesh's Kandhla town inShamli District. He is the great-grandson of the founder ofTablighi Jamat,Muhammad Ilyas Kandhlawi through former ameer of the Tablighi JamatMuhammad Yusuf Kandhlawi.[2]
He completed hisDars-e-Nizami studies from Madrasa Kashiful Uloom atNizamuddin Markaz,Nizamuddin West,South Delhi in 1987.[2][5]
Former head of the Tablighi JamatInamul Hasan Kandhlawi had formed a 10-member legislation before his death in 1995 to look after the Jamat affairs. Most of the scholars in this group died in between 1995 and 2015, includingZubair ul Hassan Kandhlawi. On 16 November 2015, a meeting was held inRaiwind Markaz facilitate the development of the shura legislation and to fill in the vacant spaces. This resulted in the formation of a new group consisting of 13 members includingMuhammad Abdul Wahhab. Kandhlawi did not agree with this shura and declared himself as the head of Jamat, leading to conflicts within the movement.[6] He subsequently started to lead theNizamuddin Markaz faction of the Tablighi Jamat.[1][4]
Some of Kandhlawi's statements lead theDeobandi scholars to issue fatawa against him. South African MuftiEbrahim Desai published a fatwa on his websiteAskimam.[7] The Islamic seminary of IndiaDarul Uloom Deoband issued a fatwa against Kandhlawi, questioning his leadership.[8][9][10]
Zaid Mazahiri of theDarul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama also wrote many treatises over this issue includingTablighi Jamat Ka Bahami Ikhtelaf awr Ittehad-o-Ittefaq awr Sulah-o-Safaii Ki ek Koshish (Internal Dispute of Tablighi Jamat: An attempt to mutually unite, and reconcile).[11] Following these reactions, British scholarYusuf Motala wrote and spoke in the defence of Kandhlawi.[12]
Amid theCOVID-19 pandemic in India, a number of worshippers from Nizamuddin Markaz tested positive forCOVID-19,[13] which resulted in the Delhi Government registering an FIR against Kandhlawi for organizing a Tablighi Jamat religious event at the Markaz, despite the restriction of such gatherings after 16 March.[14][15][16][17][18] They had also sought help from Kandhlawi and mosque authorities to allow for worshippers to vacate the premises on 25 March.[19] Thesuper-spreader event at the mosque resulted in 4,000 confirmed cases[20] and at least27 COVID-19-related deaths.[21] One media outlet claimed that Kandhlawi was charged on 16 April withmanslaughter over the gathering;[22][23] while another media outlet stated that no charges were ever laid against him.[24] Despite the mosque being locked since March 2020, on 23 August 2021, the Delhi High court ordered the Delhi police to open the residential portion of the mosque, containing Kandhlawi's house, within two days.[25][26]
Saad is son-in-law ofSalman Mazahiri.[27]
During a police raid in April 2020,[28] it was exposed in the media that Saad owns a large farmhouse in the Shamli District of Delhi. The farmhouse's mansion is equipped with plush interiors, CCTVs, electric fence, ferocious dogs.,[29] swimming pool,[30] luxury cars,[31] exotic animals and exotic birds.[32] The media also revealed that the electricity bills were being paid under his son's name, Yusuf bin Saad,[33] further proving his ownership of the house. The property has been a tightly kept secret and is widely unknown to his followers as Saad preaches a simple lifestyle.[31] Saad's relative, Badrul Hassan has defended Maulana Saad claiming that although he owns the mansion, he only goes there once every month.[34]