Sheikh Maqbool Ahmed Salafi: A Life Dedicated to Da’wah

Shaikh Maqbool Ahmad Salafi: A Biography

Shaikh Maqbool Ahmad Salafi is a prominent contemporary Islamic scholar, preacher (Da’ee), and writer known for his dedicated efforts in the field of Dawah (Islamic propagation) through both traditional means and modern social media platforms¹¹¹¹. He is currently associated with the Dawah and Irshad office in North Ta’if, Masarrah, Saudi Arabia². His work primarily focuses on presenting clear, evidence-based answers to contemporary questions and clarifying Islamic concepts according to the Salafi manhaj (methodology)³³³³³³.

Early Life and Family Background

Maqbool Ahmad was born in 1984 in the village of Andhrathari, located in the Madhubani district of Bihar, India⁴. His official date of birth is recorded as July 7, 1984⁵. His kunya (patronymic) is Abu Sunbul⁶.

He was raised in a devoutly religious Ahl-e-Hadith family, which was a minority among a large Deobandi population⁷. His father, Maulana Abdul Khaliq Faizi, is a respected scholar and a graduate of the well-known institution, Faiz-e-Aam in Mau, U.P⁸⁸⁸⁸. His father established a strict religious environment at home and was deeply committed to the Islamic education of his five sons, ensuring all of them graduated from Arabic universities^999999999. Maqbool Ahmad is the third of five brothers and four sisters¹⁰.

Educational Journey

Shaikh Maqbool’s education began at home under the direct supervision of his father¹¹¹¹¹¹. His formal Islamic education commenced in 1996 when his elder brother, Manzoor-ur-Rab Islami, enrolled him in the renowned Jamia Salafia in Banaras (Varanasi), India^{121212121212121212}. An interesting anecdote from his admission process reveals his early aptitude; the interviewer, Shaikh Ali Husain Salafi, recommended he be placed in the third grade, but upon his brother’s insistence on building a strong foundation, he was admitted into the second grade^13131313. He completed his entire Islamic studies at Jamia Salafia, graduating in 2003¹⁴.

Alongside his religious studies, he pursued secular education, earning a B.A. in Urdu from Jamia Millia Islamia, a central university in New Delhi^15151515. He also holds a Fazil degree from the Wafaq-ul-Madaris of his province and has passed the Munshi and Kamil examinations in Persian from the Allahabad Board, UP^16161616.

Esteemed Teachers

Throughout his academic life, Shaikh Maqbool studied under numerous distinguished scholars, particularly at Jamia Salafia between 1996 and 2003¹⁷¹⁷. He holds special reverence for his father, who was his first teacher^18181818. Other influential figures in his education include:

• Dr. Ridaullah Muhammad Idris Mubarakpuri ¹⁹¹⁹¹⁹
• Dr. Muqtada Hasan al-Azhari ²⁰
• Shaikh Muhammad Abul Qasim Farooqi Salafi ²¹²¹²¹
• Dr. Ibrahim Madani ²²
• Shaikh Muhammad Raees Nadwi ²³
• Shaikh Abdus Salam Madani ²⁴
• Shaikh Aziz-ur-Rehman Salafi ²⁵
• Shaikh Ali Husain Salafi ²⁶

Professional and Dawah Activities

Since graduating, Shaikh Maqbool has dedicated his life to oratory, journalism, and the propagation of Islam^27272727. His career began in Nepal, where he served as a Da’ee²⁸. He later moved to Saudi Arabia and is currently a Da’ee at a Dawah center in Ta’if²⁹.

He is particularly active on social media, which he uses as a powerful tool for Dawah³⁰. He has a significant presence on platforms like the Urdu Majlis forum and maintains a blog with his articles and interviews^31313131. His primary focus is on addressing contemporary issues, especially those for which there is a lack of reliable Islamic material in the Urdu language³².

Literary Works and Publications

Shaikh Maqbool has been a prolific writer since his student days, contributing articles to various newspapers and journals in India and Pakistan³³. His works include:

• Published Books: A book on the virtues and rulings of Ramadan³⁴. He has also translated three books into the Nepali language, two of which have been published³⁵.
• Unpublished Works: He has authored several books that are yet to be published, including a comprehensive analysis of the Tablighi Jamaat, a book titled Amal bil-Kitab was-Sunnah (Acting upon the Quran and Sunnah), and a book on the topic of Islam^36363636. A translated book on the meaning and requirements of
• La ilaha illallah is awaiting publication from his Dawah center^37373737.
• Thesis: He wrote an extensive thesis on Islamic economics during his time at Jamia Salafia, which was supervised by Shaikh Muhammad Abul Qasim Farooqi^38383838.
• Articles and Fatawa: Many of his articles have been published as pamphlets in India³⁹. He has also compiled a collection of his fatawa (religious verdicts) which he intends to publish in the future⁴⁰.

Personal Life

Marriage and Family: After completing his studies, Shaikh Maqbool married a woman from his village⁴¹. Although her family was of the Deobandi school of thought, his father approved the match due to their noble character⁴². He gradually introduced his wife to the Salafi manhaj by providing her with books to read, and over time, she embraced these teachings^43434343. Allah has blessed them with three daughters—Sunbul Firdousi, Sundus Firdousi, and Sudus Firdousi—and one son, Abdul Muhaymin⁴⁴.

Memorable Incidents:

• A Near-Death Experience: On November 28, 2017, he suffered a severe health crisis with an intense headache, high fever, and dangerously high blood pressure of 170/130^45454545. The overwhelming pain made him feel as if his life was ending⁴⁶. This experience profoundly impacted him, reinforcing the need to perform righteous deeds and highlighting the danger of hypertension, which he refers to as a “silent killer”⁴⁷.
• The Lost Watch: He once lost his watch and, after searching unsuccessfully, prayed to Allah during the Zuhr prayer. In his prayer, he was guided to the location of the watch, which had fallen into a hole in his chicken coop^48484848.

Views and Personal Philosophy

• On Knowledge: He strongly advises scholars to study seminal works like I’lam al-Muwaqqi’in and Al-Mughni, and for the general public to read the Qur’an with translation and at least finish a complete reading of Sahih al-Bukhari⁴⁹.
• On Dawah and Unity: He wishes for a global network of Ahl-e-Hadith scholars to unite their efforts in spreading the Salafi manhaj^50505050. He views technology and social media as vast and essential fields for Dawah^51515151.
• On Character: He believes a scholar’s personality should be elevated not by worldly status but by knowledge, good character, humility, and sincerity⁵². He is deeply pained by the envy and internal conflicts that hinder the work of some scholars^53535353.
• On Personal Development: He advocates for continuous effort (جهد مسلسل) and time management (انضباط وقت) as the keys to achieving one’s goals^54545454.

Favorites

• Food: Delhi’s Biryani and Saudi Arabia’s Laham Mandi^55555555.
• Attire: The Arabic thobe (jubbah)⁵⁶.
• Pastime: He enjoyed playing cricket during his student years but gave it up to dedicate his time to his studies and Dawah activities^57575757.

References:

https://maquboolahmad.blogspot.com/2023/12/blog-post_82.html

https://maquboolahmad.blogspot.com/2023/12/blog-post_23.html