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| Ibtisam Elahi Zaheer |
Prominent Islamic scholar from Pakistan, Ibtisam Elahi Zaheer has emphasised the necessity of a positive attitude towards people of different religions since this is the way of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
He was in Doha recently to participate in the 9th Doha Conference of Inter-Faith Dialogue. Ibtisam is the son of the renowned scholar Allama Ehsan Elahi Zaheer who was founder of Jamiat Ahle Hadith Pakistan.
Ibtisam is notable for his lectures and frequent appearances on TV interviews and talk shows.
“I found Qatar a peaceful country of well-mannered people where mosques are in large number and worshippers as well,” he observed while admiring the efforts of Qatar to provide such an opportunity to the scholars of different faiths where they can share their views effectively.
Asked which moments with his father he often remembers, Ibtisam said “Once I accompanied my father on Haj, and I saw him supplicating to Allah with tears in his eyes, those moments of him are unforgettable to me.”
Ibtisam is chief editor of Al-Ikhwa Urdu magazine which is distributed in all big cities of Pakistan. “My latest compilation is the Summary of Qur’an that is going to be completed soon” he said.
Ibtisam commended renowned Indian scholar Dr Zakir Naik saying he is doing a fantastic job in India. “His expertise is comparative studies of religions and he is unique among his contemporaries.”
Ibtisam felt that violence and arrogance must be discouraged in the society. Being a leader of Jamiat Ahle Hadith in Pakistan ‘We are trying to establish a system in which tolerance is the root of every activity.’
“We must listen to others views and convey ours to them as well in a manner that is full of peace and acceptable,” he added.