Sheikh Qadiri is an Islamic scholar belonging to the Qadri Razawi order and is the leader of Dawat-e-Islami, a global religious organization spread over 195 countries and operating in over 100,00 mosques and Islamic centres. Sheikh Ilyas Qadiri studied for 22 years under the former Grand Mufti of Pakistan, Sheikh Mufti Waqar ud-Din Qadri Razavi. He has authored over 30 books, including Faizan-e-Sunnat, on the merits of good deeds

The Barelvis: Dawat-e-Islami was formed by followers of the Barelvi school. Barelvis follow the teachings of Imam Ahmed Raza Khan (1856-1921), a polymath known reverentially as Ala Hazrat, who left a huge corpus of writings. A key message of this corpus is having sufficient veneration of the Prophet and it is the perceived lack of this which has often led to criticism of the Tabligh Jamaat and the Deobandi movements, despite all following the Sunni Hanafi school of jurisprudence. Imam Ahmad Raza was buried in his hometown, Bareilly, from which his movement takes its name.

Dawat-e-Islami: Ilyas Qadiri was head of the youth wing of Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (JUP) when he was chosen to head the newly formed Dawat-e-Islami in 1981 in Karachi. This movement quickly spread to all parts of Pakistan and soon all around the world.

Global Following: The subcontinent diaspora has carried the movement globally and it is estimated that it has over 200 million followers in over 195 countries. It is non-political, emphasising the love of the Prophet Muhammad as the key component of faith. It centres on the propagation of Islamic knowledge and manages two main activities: the Jamiat-ul-Madina chain of religious schools, and the non-commercial Madani TV channel.