ALLAMA AS A SCHOLAR OF ISLAM
Over the past few decades, Allama Syed Abdullah Tariq has emerged as a prominent Islamic scholar who has an excellent grasp of the Holy Qur’an, ahadith, and other Islamic literature. What distinguishes him from his contemporaries is the scientific temperament that lets him understand and complete the relevance of Islamic concepts in different eras and times. You can hardly find any Islamic scholar with his kind of personality and appearance, the one who carries a laptop in his religious discourse and talks about science and logic to explain religion. His rational approach has unveiled to him several hidden treasures that the Qur’an holds, which have been overlooked for centuries. As per Allama, further developments in science and technology will only verify the teachings of the Qur’an and Islam. That’s why the so-called knowledge of the world (Duniya) is an essential part of spiritual understanding, in fact, it is among the signs of God that will only lead us near Him, if we pay attention. According to Allama, the teachings of the Qur’an give the pragmatic test by which a person can assess his religious and spiritual state. If the teachings of the Qur’an and Islam (Salah, Namaz, Roza, Zakat, etc) are not giving the results as per the claims of the Qur’an, it is a sign that we are not performing them well and that these acts of worship have become mere rituals and has lost their spirit and essence (That is what has happened in this era). One of the aims of Allama is to revive this essence and spirit of worship that reflects its positive results in people’s lives. Allama does not only preach and teach but he leads by example. All his life he has been following the Qur’anic principles and living a life that people can look up to understand how Islam can positively transform a person and his life. Some of the marvels of his life are discussed in the upcoming sections. Let us first have a glance at some of the activities that he does and the roles he plays as a scholar of Islam.
Commentator of the Qur'an
For many years he has been giving his scientific and rational commentary on the Qur’an every Friday. With time, his commentary has become very popular among people who were yearning to understand the Qur’an conceptually. His commentary portrays how to understand the Qur’an in contemporary times. Through his sessions on Qur’an commentary (Dars-e-Qur’an), he has time and again reminded Muslims of the Prophetic and Islamic teachings that have been lost with time or were modified as a part of conspiracies either to cater to the interest of the selfish or to malign Islam. These detailed commentaries are available on his Youtube channel.
The writer of the gist of Qur'an
A concise, simple, and yet informative gist of the Qur’an by Allama is available in Urdu, in written form, as well as in recording on his Youtube channel. This gist is so beautifully framed that it equally garners the attention and interest of beginners who do not know Arabic and want to understand the message of the Qur’an and of those who want to revise and refresh their teachings of the Qur’an in a shorter duration.
The organiser of Taraweeh prayers
In Ramadan, Allama ensures that Taraweeh prayers are organised every day. After Taraweeh, he explains the gist of the portion of the Qur’an that was recited in the Taraweeh.
Imam of Friday prayers
He has been leading Friday Prayers as Imam in Masjid Takiya Memaran for the last 25 years. Since COVID-19, the provision of live online Friday Salah and sermons was made for those who cannot go to the mosques. His online Friday Sermons are heard worldwide live by Muslims and Non-Muslims alike. These live prayers are run on Facebook and Instagram every Friday at 1:00 pm IST. All his sermons enlighten people about current affairs and their relationship with the laws and plans of God.
Taaq Raat Program
In the holy month of Ramadan, Allama has been conducting programs on the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan to search Shab-e-qadar. This program is also conducted live. The deep spiritual atmosphere of this program can not be comprehended. One needs to participate in this to fully understand and witness this collective divine extravaganza. The program includes discussion and discourse on various Islamic topics (the theme of which is changed every year) and the conduction of special prayers and meditative salah.
Imam of Eid-prayers
Every year, on eid-ul-Fitr and eid-ud-duha, Allama leads the Eid prayers and every time gives unique, spiritually enlightening and informative eid sermons to make people understand the importance of the Qur’an, Ramadan, Eid and the spirit and nature of sacrifice.
ALLAMA AS AN EXPERT IN COMPARATIVE RELIGIOUS STUDIES
Allama Syed Abdullah Tariq has exceptional command over comparative studies of religions. Being a humble learner, besides being an expert on Qur’an, and Hadith as well as innumerable commentaries on them, he is well-versed with scriptures of other religions as mentioned below.
Sanatan Dharma/Hinduism
Allama has thoroughly studied Vedas with Sanatan Dharmi, Arya Samaji and Orientalists’ commentaries. He also has an understanding and knowledge of the Upanishads, Gita, and other Sanatan Dharma scriptures.
Christianity
He has command over many versions of the Bible and its commentaries.
Sikhism
He has learned Guru Granth Sahib through English translations of Gopal Singh and Manmohan Singh.
Other religions
He has explored a depth of a number of scriptures of other faiths like Buddhism, Jainism, Pranami Dharma, Nirankari mission, Brahma Kumari, Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) etc.
Understanding of philosophy
His zeal is reflected in his knowledge of Indian Philosophy and analysis of Hindu sub-sects such as Gayatri Parivar, Swadhyay Parivar, Arya Samaj, Theosophical society, Rama Krishna mission, etc.
ALLAMA AS A PREACHER AND ORATOR
His success is marked by the fact that he is amongst the few privileged Islamic preachers to have been invited by all major religious groups like the Sanatan Dharma, Brahma Kumari, Arya Samaj, Nirankari Mission, Gayatri Parivar, and Christianity to deliver his message of compassion and to enlighten people about the unity of God, to discuss common grounds and promote communal harmony amongst them. Many international motivational speakers also invite Allama Syed Abdullah Tariq for online talks. A list of talks that he has delivered so far is given at the end.
PRESIDENT OF WORK
The gems in the crown of Allama Syed Abdullah Tariq are the aims and motives on which the foundation of The World Organisation of Religions and Knowledge (WORK) was laid in 1987. On the insistence of Allama Syed Abdullah Tariq, it was Acharya Shams Naved Usmani who founded WORK. He chose Allama as its president. WORK was established to encourage research and rational understanding of scriptures and to drive people through compassion for the unity of mankind.
ASSOCIATION OF ALLAMA WITH REPUTED ORGANISATIONS
Apart from being the President of WORK, Allama Syed Abdullah Tariq also serves in the capacity of Secretary of Hind Bhaichara Samiti, Secretary of the Human Welfare Board, the Secretary of Sarva Dharma Samvad Manch, the Secretary of East-West Educational and Cultural Society, and the Secretary and Trustee of Forum for Religious Understanding in Rampur. He is a renowned Patron of the Veda Qur’an Research Institute in Ahmedabad. He is also the patron of an international chain of schools ‘The Palm Tree Academy’. He also takes interest in the programs of ‘Differently Abled Children’ by visiting the school which is run under the banner of WORK.
Former faculty at IIM
For over 15 years Allama served as a visiting professor of the Indian Institute of Management – Ahmedabad–one of India’s most prestigious business schools, to teach entrepreneurship while inspiring and motivating India’s brightest minds.
ALLAMA AS A RELIGIOUS, SOCIAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVIST
Allama Syed Abdullah Tariq’s life is governed by a golden rule given in the Quran, that whosoever is beneficial for people in this world will prosper here. The Qur’an 13:17 says:
وَأَمَّا مَا يَنفَعُ ٱلنَّاسَ فَيَمْكُثُ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يَضْرِبُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْأَمْثَا
but what benefits people remains on the earth. This is how Allah sets forth parables.
This has encouraged him to strive for the benefit of all the creatures that are there on earth. He dedicated himself to the spiritual and social welfare of people and to bring them near to their lord. His diligence transformed him into a religious, social and environmental activist.
Religious activism
His knowledge and wisdom about Islam, other religions, and spirituality is backed by
Scriptures
Rationality
Science
A favourite amongst people of all religions, he has a following that extends beyond demographics. He has been working not only among Muslims but has been inclusive of all religious communities.
Before the onset of Covid-19, He used to organise classes on comparative religious studies for people from all walks of life -business persons, students, professionals, religious experts, etc. These classes laid emphasis on the common teachings of all the major religions to make them understand that they all share common roots and we are the servant of the same God that is revered by others by different names, in different languages. This was being done to evoke a sense of brotherhood and amity. These programs also had facilities to encourage women’s participation. The classes were being organised especially designed for Madrasa students to make them understand other religions to spread communal harmony and peace in the country.
Allama travels all across the nation upon being invited by individuals and popular organizations to deliver talks and sermons on Islam and communal harmony and compassion. The clips of these lectures can also be found on Youtube and Facebook.
He has been invited to many countries for different peace conferences where he also had meetings with the Former Prime Minister of the UK, Tony Blair, and the King of Saudi Arabia, Shah Abdullah. He is acknowledged by different groups of Ulemas of the Muslim Community. He also talked on common grounds and shared knowledge about the Sanatan Dharma with Atal Bihari Vajpayee, India’s former Prime Minister.
Allama has been the first person from a Muslim faith to be officially present with his team at different religious gatherings and festivals, including, Gayatri Maha Kumbh in Haridwar, Ardhkumbha in Allahabad, Diwali Mela in Chitrakoot, Ramayanam Ashram in Ayodhya, etc. At these grand gatherings, his team discussed the possibility of coexistence and peace among people of different faiths through compassion.
In his effort to reach out to the youth and common masses, he also contributed to the Islamic Voice- a monthly magazine published and released in Bangalore. His work involved answering innumerable doubts and queries that the readers had. His busy schedule did not allow him to continue for long. However, he continued to cater to the doubts and questions of the masses through other means.
He became the only Muslim to have acquired permission for setting up a stall in the Kumbh Mela (2007) in Allahabad, UP. In Ramayana Mela, Chitrakoot, every year, he and his team set their stall. The only aim of these stalls is to convey the message of brotherhood and communal harmony.
In 2011, Allama Syed Abdullah Tariq created history by leading a team of dedicated Muslims to the Mahakumbh. The Mahakumbh, a grand Hindu festival, is organised at Haridwar, UP by Gayatri Parivaar and attracts over 50 lakh people. Allama Syed Abdullah Tariq led the Muslim team, which took a rath (chariot) through the electrifying atmosphere of thousands of Hindu brethren. The rath witnessed people from both the Hindu and Muslim communities reciting the Kalima and Brahm-sutra which manifested into a heart-touching symbol of love, brotherhood, tolerance, and harmony. Hindus gave them a warm welcome and made arrangements for the Salah, which was led by Allama. Many onlookers were left teary-eyed in the presence of the intense spiritual environment.
He is the first person in Indian history to have organised dialogues with scholars of Sanatan Dharma, Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism, Theosophical society, etc. in mosques. Other than that, he has also set up camps to impart knowledge of Sanskrit in Rampur, Noida, and Deoband. The turnover was an impressive crowd of Aalims, Muftis and Muslim women who came in masses to perfect their knowledge of Sanskrit.
Social Activism
Individually as well as along with his organisation, Allama is continuously making efforts to make society better. His passion for spreading the culture of compassion has stunned people across regions.
Standing against social evils
Despite belonging to an era where social evils like dowry, casteism, and innumerable superstitions are prevalent in society, Allama Syed Abdullah Tariq has always stood firmly by Islamic principles that condemned these beliefs. He took it upon himself to conduct the marriage of several underprivileged youths in the most religiously appropriate manner, without any dowry and extravagance. Even the marriage of his children was conducted without any dowry. At his son’s wedding, he set an example by conducting the mass marriage of the underprivileged. From then on, he frequently organises such mass marriage programs to help the needy. He is always at the forefront to lend a big helping hand to any one in need.
Standing against terrorism
He was the first to raise his voice against terrorism in Kashmir. In 1998, a large crowd assimilated in Poonch to hear the words of Allama Syed Abdullah Tariq as he boldly declared his war against terrorism. It has been reported that the crowd included hundreds of armed militants.
Stance on Babri Masjid conflict
In 1988, Allama published an article for the Urdu journal Akhbar-e-Nau that discouraged the Muslim community from aggravating the Ayodhya dispute. He used the Quran and Sunnah to outline principles that instructed the community to refrain from taking the issue to the level of a clash for the sake of peace and harmony. He maintains that the issue has worsened because of the stance of the Muslim leadership. In 2018, he publicly supported Salman Hussain Nadvi’s stance on the dispute.
Reforming jail victims
He has been into reforming jail inmates through Spiritual and Cultural Programmes in the prisons of Rampur, Lucknow, Kanpur, Muzaffarnagar, and Hyderabad. In 2007, very smoothly he proved the existence of God amongst ex-Naxalites in Hyderabad.
Ration distribution during the lockdown
During the COVID-19 lockdown, Allama and his entire WORK team served migrant labourers, distributed rations among the needy, distributed masks, face shields, and sanitisers, and raised awareness about the pandemic. The other organisations were also distributing the rations by either giving them to the people who were coming to them or by just leaving the commodities at the doors. The fear of the disease was not letting them interact with people. Due to this, some people were getting help multiple times and then there were the ones who were locked in their houses and/or were unable to get any help. The efforts of WORKers were unique in a way that they surveyed personally by going into the containment zones, where no one wanted to go as they were scared for their lives. WORKers identified households who actually needed help and then continued their drive accordingly.
⦁ Until this day, every Friday Allama allots a specific time to frame goals for the week for the betterment of individuals and society at large to spread the culture of compassion.
Justice for Kashmiri pandits
Allama has been vocal about the issue of Kashmiri pandits since the beginning. He has openly called out atrocities committed on them. He is the first Muslim to organise rallies in support of Kashmiri pandits. He has demanded their rehabilitation and resettlement. His followers and team members participated in large numbers and organised these rallies in different states.
Relief Activities in Riots and natural calamities
Post Gujarat riots in 2002, he along with his team volunteered for fieldwork and helped relocate several children, ensuring a better future for them. His team consistently volunteers in places hit by natural calamities. Be it the 2001 Gujarat or Kashmir earthquake, they have helped people in all their capacities. In 2022, they served the flood and landslide victims at Kedarnath by organising health camps. In the Nadimarg massacre of 2003, he travelled all the way to extend a comforting hand to the 20 victimised Brahmin families. There was no other organisation that dared to step foot in the conflicting zone.
Reforming youth
Allama Syed Abdullah Tariq focuses on the young generation, especially students. Different programs are organised for the students such as Personality Development, Stress Management, Award Distribution, and Scholarship Distribution.
WORK for compassion
Allama has pledged to revive the message of compassion and inculcate the culture of compassion into the masses, and decided to guide WORK under the slogan of ‘WORK for compassion’. Be it organising health camps, distributing food and clothing, educational programs, spreading environmental awareness, or serving people at orphanages and old age homes, he and his organisation never leave any chance to amaze humanity with their selfless service unto all creatures. WORK has a huge team of dedicated volunteers that work solely to earn the pleasure of their God. They invest their time and hard-earned money to spread the message of communal harmony and a culture of compassion. Indeed, Allama has succeeded in forming and organising one of a kind team that you would have ever seen. Their consistency, hard work, and dedication are unparalleled.
More information regarding WORK and its activities can be accessed from: https://workglobal.in/
Environmental activism
Allama is cognizant of the threats our environment is facing and prone to. He knows that the peaceful and safe survival of humans is not possible at the cost of the environment. Natural calamities and crises are a result of the fact that we have stopped caring for the environment.
Allama and his team have been working consistently towards the conservation of the environment and raising awareness regarding the same. He and his team have organised numerous plantation drives across India.
They have organised campaigns and programs to educate people about water conservation, the threats of the use of plastics, and the proper disposal of E-wastes.
They have been a part of river cleaning drives.
MESSENGER OF COMPASSION
Allama has been commemorating the month of Rabi-ul-awwal, the month of the birth of Prophet Muhammad-the compassion unto nations (PBUH), as compassion month for many years. In this month, the 11th-17th Rabi-ul-awwal is observed as Compassion Week, and the 12th Rabi-ul-awwal, as compassion day. Every aspect of the Prophet’s life reflects compassion. He was kind and merciful even to his enemies. As a father, a friend, a teacher, a leader, and a soldier he was all embodiment of compassion. How can we claim to be the followers of the Prophet (PBUH) leaving his legacy of compassion from our lives? We need to remind people of this culture of compassion that the Prophet began. To remind the same, in this month, every year Allama and his team organise acts of compassion like plantation drives, programs of educational welfare, communal harmony, free medical camps, and other programs for social work all over India. They also organise several interfaith programs to promote compassion among communities. The entire purpose of this month-long endeavour is to spread the true teachings of the Prophet of compassion (PBUH).