History[edit]
Dawat-e-Islami was founded in 1981 at Babul Madina Karachi, Pakistan, byMuhammad Ilyas Attar Qadri. The then Punjab president of the youth wing of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan is the founding chief of the organization
Dawat-e-Islami expanded to the United Kingdom around 1996 holding its first Ijtima (Weekly Congregation) in Halifax. As of December 2014, it now has at 24 properties in the United Kingdom which are used as Masaajid, Madrassahs, Islamic School and/or Jamia in order to create future scholars. Some buildings have been completed and others are being worked upon. Below is a list of Dawat-e-Islami buildings in the United Kingdom:
- Dar-ul-Madina: Blackburn (Islamic School)
- Dayyar-e-Madina: Birmingham
- Faizan-e-Attar: Bradford
- Faizan-e-Attar: Walsall
- Faizan-e-Madina: Accrington
- Faizan-e-Madina: Birmingham
- Faizan-e-Madina: Birmingham (Stetchford)
- Faizan-e-Madina: Bradford (A Jamia-tul-Madina - Scholar Course is taught)
- Faizan-e-Madina: Derby
- Faizan-e-Madina: Halifax (not owned by Dawat-e-Islami but donated to the organisation)
- Faizan-e-Madina: Leeds (construction not yet started)
- Faizan-e-Madina: Leicester
- Faizan-e-Madina: Newcastle
- Faizan-e-Madina: Newport
- Faizan-e-Madina: Nottingham
- Faizan-e-Madina: Oldham
- Faizan-e-Madina: Slough
- Faizan-e-Madina: South-end-on-Sea
- Faizan-e-Madina: Rochdale
- Faizan-e-Madina: Rotherham
- Madrassa-tul-Madina: Birmingham (Aston)
- Madrassa-tul-Madina: Bury
- Madrassa-tul-Madina: Newcastle
- Madrassa-tul-Madina: Sheffield
It is estimated that around 10,000 British Muslims are in some form or the other associated with Dawat-e-Islami in UK.
Dawat-e-Islami operates five centres in Greece and three in Spain.[6] In 2009 a madrassa opened in Rotherham for the education of young children and adults.
Dawat-e-Islami USA has centers in Chicago, Texas and California.[7]
Reception[edit]
In 2007, retired Pakistani lieutenant general Khalid Maqbool praised the organization as a moderating force.[8]
Philosophy[edit]
The philosophy of Dawat e Islami revolves around purifying society from what it views as moral decay. According to the organization's official book on its founder, Dawat e Islami seeks to remove societal ills such as gambling and alcoholism via its missionary work.[2]
Activities[edit]
Members of Pakistani sports teams have met with Qadri's teachings.[2] Also in 2005, Dawat-e-Islami invited former President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to its two-day congregation in Lahore.[9][10] Dawat-e-Islami has opened a department with the name of ‘Madrasa-tul-Madina Online.’ This department aims to teach the Quran according to the principles of Arabic phonetics to all who live abroad, as well as to provide them with knowledge and understanding of Islamic teachings.[11]
It arranges "Haftawar Shab-e-Juma Ijtima" (weekly gatherings) in cities around the world.[12][13]
Dawat-e-Islami held its first-ever congregation for deaf, dumb and blind students at its central headquarters Faizan-e-Madinah. Hundreds of students between 16 and 18 years of age attended the programme.[14]
Dawat-e-Islami collects Zakat and Sadaqah during Ramadan for its Dawah and organizational activities.[15] It is also largely financed by donation of sacrificed animal skin during Eid al-Adha, which is then sold to the leather manufacturing industry.
Dawat-e-Islami broadcasts the Madani Channel of Islamic programming.[16]
