KARACHI: Maulana Abdur Razzaq Iskandar, eminent religious scholar and head of the Wifaqul Madaris Al-Arabia Pakistan, passed away on Wednesday after a protracted illness. He was 86.
Iskandar was also the chancellor of the Jamia Uloom-ul-Islamia, Binori Town. He had been suffering from breathing problems and was admitted to the Indus Hospital, where he was put on a ventilator a week ago. He left behind two sons, who are also religious scholars.
Iskandar was born in Abbottabad in 1935. He received his religious education from Shaikhul Hadith Maulana Muhammad Shafi from his seminary in Nanak Wara and Jamia Uloom-ul-Islamia, Binori Town, in Karachi.
In 1962, he studied at the Jamia Islamia in Medina in Saudi Arabia, and in 1974 he received education from the Jamiaul Azhar in Egypt. After the assassination of Maulana Nizamuddin Shamzai in 2004, Iskandar became the chancellor of the Jamia Uloom-ul-Islamia, Binori Town.
Iskander’s funeral prayers were held in Jamia Binori Town on Wednesday night. Thousands of people attended his funeral prayers, which were led by his son Maulana Saeed Iskandar.
Darul Uloom Karachi Chancellor Maulana Taqi Usmani, the director general of Sindh Rangers, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman and Asadullah Bhutto from the Jamaat-e-Islami also attended the funeral. He was laid to rest on the seminary’s premises near the grave of its founder, Maulana Yousuf Binori.
Chief of the Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa also expressed his heartfelt condolences on the sad demise of the religious scholar. “May Allah bless his soul and give strength to the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss. Ameen,” the army chief said.
Governor Sindh Imran Ismail expressed deep sorrow and grief over the demise of the prominent scholar.The governor prayed to Allah to give eternal peace to the departed soul and accept all his services for the cause of religion and grant patience to the bereaved family.
