Muhammad Ilyas Kandhalvi

Muhammad Ilyas Kandhalvi was born in 1885 in a small town in the United Province of British India in a family of religious scholars. As a response to degradation in practice of Islamic principles and values among the common Muslim folk and efforts by organizations such as Arya Samaj to convert poorer sections of Muslims to Hinduism (see Shuddi Movement), Ilyas al-Kandhlawi revived the Tabligh Jamaat effort in the 1920s. This movement focuses on preaching fundamental Islamic values to common Muslims and works on inculcating ritual prayer, fasting and other fundamental acts of worship in them. All the members work as volunteers and encourage each other on concern for Muslim community and mankind in general to return to worship and obedience of their Creator (God). Tabligh Jamaat maintains a non-affiliating stature in matters of politics and fiqh (jurisprudence) so as to eschew the controversies that would otherwise accompany such affiliations and today has a presence in over 150 countries in the world. He was succeeded by Muhammad Yusuf Kandhalawi as Ameer of Tabligh Jamaat.