Maulana Tariq Jamil is a prominent Deobandi scholar who is also one of the most popular preachers in Pakistan. He belongs to the Tablighi Jamaat group and his lectures focus on the subject of self-purification, avoidance of violence, observance of Allah’s commands and following the sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
Background: After completing pre-medical studies, Maulana Tariq was admitted to the King Edward Medical College in Lahore. It was there—under the influence of members of the Tablighi Jamaat—that his focus changed to Islamic education. His Islamic training is from Jamia Arabia, where he studied Qur’an, Hadith, Sufism, Logic, and Islamic Jurisprudence.
Tablighi Jamaat: Founded in 1927 by Maulana Muhammad Ilyas Kandhlawi in India as an apolitical revivalist movement, Tablighi Jamaat urges Muslims to revive basic faith practices through 3-day and 40-day tours. Affiliated loosely with Deobandi thought, it targets broad audiences, eschewing politics for personal reform. Spread by South Asian diaspora, it claims 80–100 million adherents globally. Annual ijtemas (gatherings) in Raiwind, Pakistan (1.5–2 million attendees) and Tongi, Bangladesh (3–5 million), reflect its mass appeal.
Influence: In addition to running a madrasa in Faisalabad, Pakistan, Maulana Tariq continues to travel extensively and deliver lectures around the world. He has been very effective in influencing all kinds of people, ranging from businessmen and landowners, to ministers, actors, and sports celebrities, and his social media videos garner billions of views. In recognition of his vast contributions to religious outreach and social welfare, he received Pakistan’s presidential Pride of Performance award in 2020 and an honorary doctorate in 2026.