Having served the religion of Islam and the British Muslim community since 1962, the dedicated and influential scholar and elder of the Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jama‘ah community in the United Kingdom, Maulana Muhammad Bostan al-Qadiri (ra), has today passed away. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un (Indeed we are for Allah and to Him we return). Maulana Bostan al-Qadiri has continued to be a pivotal elder in the community contributing for decades in numerous organisations and projects. He was an influential founder member of Jamiat Tabligh-ul-Islam Bradford as well as the World Islamic Mission, and in his latter roles he was trustee and founder member of the British Muslim Forum and secretary-general of the Confederation of Sunni Mosques Midlands.
Founder and principal of Jamia Al-Karam, Shaykh Muhammad Imdad Hussain Pirzada, is deeply saddened by this loss. Expressing his condolences, Shaykh Pirzada has released the following statement earlier this morning:
“In the present era where great men are seldom found, when we witness the departure of any elder from us, a void is being created, which we cannot see being filled. With this in mind, one of our elders has today departed from us. In the field of serving Islam, Maulana Muhammad Bostan al-Qadiri (ra) was unique and exceptional, as a result of which different organisations and many scholarly voices have blessed him with honours and awards. He has played an influential role in many important organisations of British Muslims that have been set up during the past half century. In particular, he was a founder member and trustee of the Ahl al-Sunnah representative body, the British Muslim Forum.
“Over the past thirty years, I have had a close connection with Maulana Bostan al-Qadiri. I have found him to be a humble, pleasant, active and self-less servant of Islam. He was always present and occupied in serving the cause of the Ahl al-Sunnah and striving for the unity of the Muslim Ummah. His services to Islam will always be remembered. I pray that Allah Almighty raises his ranks and grants him a special place in Paradise. Amin.”