Ilyas Qadri

Muhammad Ilyas Attar Qadri, known as Maulana Ilyas Qadri, is a Pakistani Islamic scholar born in Karachi in 1950, the founder of Dawat-e-Islami and its leader since its foundation. ^{1 2} The Muslim 500 describes him in its 2010 edition as a leader of the Qadiriyyah, Radaviyyah, Attariya branch of the Qadri Sufi order. ³ His YouTube channel counted 2,250,000 subscribers in November 2026 — a dated platform figure, not a measurement the museum makes itself. ⁴

Ilyas Qadri was born on 12 July 1950 in Karachi; Dawat-e-Islami's official biography gives the date as 26 Ramadan 1369 AH and his birthplace as the Bombay Bazar area of Kharadar, Karachi. ^{1 2} His name is Muhammad, with Ilyas as his name in general usage, his kunya Abu Bilal and his pen name Attar, and he hails from the Memon community, his ancestors having come from Kutyanah in Junagadh. ^{2 1} He studied for approximately 22 years under Muhammad Waqaruddin Qadri at Darul Uloom Amjadia in Karachi, and also studied under Ziauddin Madani. ^{1 2}

The English Wikipedia article states in its prose that he belongs to the Qadri–Razavi order of Sufism. ¹ Its Sufism section records that he became a murid of Ziauddin Madani, himself a disciple of Ahmad Raza Khan, that Fazlur Rahman Malik and Waqaruddin authorized him in Sufism, and that Shariful Haq Amjadi authorized him in all four major Sufi orders — Qadiriyyah, Chishtiyyah, Naqshbandiyyah and Suhrawardiyya. ¹ Dawat-e-Islami's own biography likewise records his pledge of allegiance to Ziauddin Ahmad al-Madani and the ijaza and khilafa he received from him and from fifteen other spiritual leaders. ²

In his youth he served as an imam at Nur Masjid in Kharadar, Karachi, for a significant period. ² In 1981 he founded Dawat-e-Islami with the aim, in his organisation's words, "I must strive to reform myself and the people of the entire world." ² The movement he leads is a non-political global organisation which the English Wikipedia article describes as one of Barelvi Sunnis spread over 195+ countries, with around 30 million disciples attributed to him worldwide. ¹ Its institutions include Jamia-tul-Madina, where the Dars-e-Nizami curriculum is taught, the Madrasa-tul-Madinah schools, and the Madani Channel. ¹

He is the author of some 30 books, including his major work Faizan-e-Sunnat, in two volumes and more than 2,000 pages. ¹ His other listed publications include Laws of Salah, Priceless Diamonds, Cure for Anger and I want to rectify myself. ¹

The English Wikipedia article records that Ilyas Qadri has faced allegations related to extremism and controversial statements, including supporting extrajudicial killings of blasphemers, and that Mumtaz Qadri, associated with Dawat-e-Islami, murdered the Pakistani governor Salman Taseer — a killing after which, the article reports, Ilyas Qadri declared the murderer a "ghazi". ¹ Those reports are carried here as the article attributes them, to India Today, Indiatimes and One India coverage of 2022. ¹

His YouTube channel, Maulana Ilyas Qadri, began on 27 May 2013, with its channel country set to Pakistan. ⁴ It stood at 2,250,000 subscribers, 407,786,078 total views and 7,173 videos at vidIQ's update of 5 November 2026. ⁴ The channel's most-viewed uploads include a recitation of the Shajra e Qadriya Razaviyya Attaria and his multi-part lessons on the Islamic method of bathing and on what breaks a fast. ⁴

• English Wikipedia article "Ilyas Qadri", read in full on 5 November 2026. ¹
• Dawat-e-Islami's official founder biography, read in full on 5 November 2026. ²
• The Muslim 500, 2010 edition (Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre), entry on p. 102, read on 5 November 2026. ³
• vidIQ statistics page for his channel (@maulanailyasqadri), figures as of 5 November 2026. ⁴