Muhammad Ilyas al-Kandhlawi

Muhammad Ilyas ibn Muhammad Ismail al-Kandhlawi (1885-1944 CE / 1303-1363 AH) was an Indian Islamic scholar and the founder of the Tablighi Jama'at, one of the largest grassroots Islamic movements in the world. Born in Kandhla, Uttar Pradesh, into a family of scholars associated with Darul Uloom Deoband, he studied under leading Deobandi scholars including Mahmud Hasan Deobandi and Rashid Ahmad Gangohi.

Muhammad Ilyas was deeply troubled by the religious ignorance he observed among common Muslims in the Mewat region south of Delhi, where many Muslims had adopted Hindu customs and knew virtually nothing of Islamic practice. In response, he founded the Tablighi Jama'at in 1927, a movement that encouraged ordinary Muslims to go door-to-door calling others to basic Islamic practice: the declaration of faith, prayer, remembrance of Allah, respect for fellow Muslims, sincerity of intention, and spending time in the path of Allah. The movement's methodology was deliberately simple, requiring no formal scholarly credentials to participate.

The Tablighi Jama'at grew from its humble origins in Mewat to become a global movement with millions of participants across virtually every country where Muslims reside. Muhammad Ilyas's genius lay in creating a scalable, non-political framework for religious renewal that empowered laypeople to actively participate in calling others to faith. He emphasized personal transformation through practice and companionship rather than through intellectual debate. He passed away in Delhi and his movement continues to be one of the most widespread vehicles for Islamic practice and revival worldwide.