194. Maulana Abul Lais Islahi

(1913-90)

 

Maulana Sher Mohammed, popularly known as Maulana Abul Lais, son of Mr. Tawajjah Hussain, was born in 1913 at Chandpatti in Azamgarh district of U.P. He got his education in Nadwatul Ulama, Lucknow and Madarsatul Islah, Azamgarh, the two renowned Islamic education centres in India, where he also taught for a few years.

Maulana Abul Lais got the Jamaat membership in 1944. When the remaining members of the Jamaat after the Partition held a two-day session at Allahabad in April 1948 in order to reorganise themselves, he was elected its first Ameer. He continued in office till 1972. He was again re-elected Ameer in 1981 and continued till 1990.

 

 

 

He was a man possessing qualities of head and heart. Besides being a popular Aalim-e-Deen, he was also a great leader. He played a vital role in the establishment of the Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat, the Muslim Personal Law Board and Deeni Talimi Council of U.P. His political acumen, educational dexterity and way of thinking on Muslim issues was unique and imitable. His simplicity, piety and unyielding patience find no words to express. Maulana Abul Lais was a man of journalistic bent of mind. He edited several journals before assuming the leadership of the Jamaat. His editorial in the Zindagi are memorable pieces of journalism. He used to write for the cause of Islam and Muslim Ummah. His last book Jamaat-e-Islami ki Tashkil-e-Jadeed: Kyon aur Kaise covers a major part of the post- partition evolution of Jamaat, and is a historic document. He died in Azamgarh on December 5, 1990.

 

Source : radianceweekly.com