Thread by @RiyazTimol

الحمد لله
Pleased to have published the first comprehensive biography and sociological study of the popular Pakistani preacher and Islamic scholar Maulana Tariq Jamil available in English
(THREAD)
mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/1…

@TariqJamilOFCL @WaseemBadami @IamShaistaLodhi @yousaf1788

From his comfortable early life studying medicine @gcuniversitylhr to his religious journey with the #TablighiJamaat qualifying as an Islamic scholar, I trace his spectacular success as a compelling orator and eventual transformation into a national celebrity in 5 distinct stages

Drawing on Prof Jonathan Berkey's work, I locate Maulana Tariq Jamil's rhetorical style within the historical archetypes of the wu'az (popular preachers) & qussas (storytellers) which has caused some fallout with more rigorous scriptural ulama (religious scholars) over the years

With nearly 2 billion views on YouTube, the article examines how Maulana Tariq Jamil's embrace of contemporary digital media tools has enabled a global reach historically unprecedented by a leader of the Tablighi Jamaat

(see also @zaighamkhan's dawn.com/news/1630280 @dawn_com)

His life-changing impact on popstar @JunaidJamshedPK and the 2000s national cricket team, I argue, helped MTJ develop a unique following among the Pakistani middle classes, cultural elites & various sectarian groups including Deobandi, Barelvi & Shia, though not without criticism

Most recently, MTJ's close personal relationship with @ImranKhanPTI and launch of an eponymous clothing brand have attracted headlines and raised questions over the role of the ulama in Pakistani public life

@Asad_Umar @fawadchaudhry @arifhameed15 @MaheenFaisal20 @FaisalVawdaPTI

Translating many excerpts from the Maulana's speeches into English for the first time, the article explores the dialectic tension between individual & institution drawing a parallel with Malcolm X's high-profile role in the spread of the American Nation of Islam

@Tableghi_jamaat

Sociologically, it explores how charisma is managed within existing bureaucratic structures and how a century-old global da'wa organisation like the Tablighi Jama’at evolves under the influence of multiple leaders who respond differently to contemporary challenges @MatthewJKuiper

The biography is published as part of a @MDPIOpenAccess Special Issue on "Islamic Revivalism and Social Transformation in the Modern World" & can be downloaded free of charge here: doi.org/10.3390/rel140…

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@YousafjamilMTJ @Inzamam08 @sanaak21 @Saqlain_Mushtaq @Mushy_online