Ehsan Elahi Zaheer (Urdu: احسان الہی ظہیر) (31 May 1945 – 30 March 1987) was a Pakistani Islamic scholar. He was the founder of Jamiat Ahle Hadith. He died from an assassin's bomb blast in 1987. He was taken to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in injured condition. He died there and was buried in Jannat al-Baqi.
In 1972, Ehsan Elahi Zaheer joined the political party Tehreek-e-Istiqlal. After Ehsan Elahi joined the party, it became the second most popular party of Pakistan. Ehsan left the party in 1978.[citation needed]
Jamiat Ahle Hadith
In March 1986, Zaheer founded his political party Jamiat Ahle Hadith. Zaheer used to criticize Zia-ul-Haq. After Zaheer was assassinated, the party was led by his son Ibtisam Elahi Zaheer.[2]
Assassination
While Zaheer was giving a speech, a bomb which had been planted in the flowers on the stage exploded, severely injuring him. He later died due to his injuries.
Upon the request of Saudi Grand Mufti Abd al-Aziz Ibn Baz, Zaheer was transferred to Saudi Arabia for treatment at The National Guard Hospital. Medics could not save him from his severe wounds. His funeral prayer was led by Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz in Medina, Saudi Arabia, attended by millions including the country's main Islamic scholars, and he was buried in Al-Baqi cemetery.[3]
Personal life
Zaheer's father-in-law Hafiz Muhammad Gondalvi (1897-1985) was also a famed Ahl-e-Hadith scholar.[4]
Zaheer had three sons, themselves involved in Islamic scholarship and activism: Ibtisam Elahi Zaheer, Hisham Elahi Zaheer and Motasim Elahi Zaheer.[5]
Books
He mainly wrote in Arabic but his works have been translated into Urdu and many other languages:[6]
Urdu
Mirzāʼiyyat aur Islām, Idārat Turjumān al-Sunnah, 1972, 240 p.
^Imtiaz Alam, Religious revivalism in South Asia, South Asian Policy Analysis Network, 2006, p. 85
^Dorsey, James (2022). "Saudi Arabia: A South Asian Wrecking Ball". In Mandaville, Peter (ed.). Wahhabism and the World: Understanding Saudi Arabia's Global Influence on Islam. Oxford University Press. p. 195.