Shafee Okarvi

Okarvi was born in Khem Karan, East Punjab, India, to Haaji Shaiekh Karam Ilaahi, a local businessman. He was the eldest son of seven siblings. He began his education by learning to read and memorise the Quran and he completed middle school.[5]

Okarvi married at a young age and fathered eleven children, these being five sons and six daughters. In 1952, however, his two eldest sons, three-year-old Muneer Ahmad and 14-month-old Tanveer Ahmad, died within a week of each other. His eldest son, Kaukab Noorani Okarvi, continues his father's religious work.[6][7]

In 1947, after migrating from India, he and his father built Masjid Ghausiyah in Okara. In 1950, he began leading Friday prayers and teaching the congregation at Jaame Masjid Muhaajireen in Sahiwal and became the head of the Department of Religion at Birla High School (renamed Sutlej Cotton Mills High School) in Okara.[8]

From 1952 to 1953, he contributed to the Tahreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Khatm-e-Nubuwwat, which is an organization created to persecute Ahmadi Muslims. In 1954, he also established the Jaami'ah Hanafiyah Ashraf-ul-Madaaris on Grand Trunk Road in Okara and remained one of its mentors and sponsors.[8]

In 1955, he visited Karachi for the first time when he lectured at the Jaame Masjid Aaraam Bagh on the first Laylat al-Qadr. The following year he became the lecturer and Imam of Memon Masjid and he founded Jamaat Ahle Sunnat and became its first chairman.[9][10]

Okarvi preached in the Far East, Middle East, India, Palestine, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Mauritius and many other countries.[11] He sold 100,000 cassettes of his speeches in South Africa before 1980.[12] Video cassettes of his speeches are also widely distributed internationally.

In 1962, Okarvi travelled to Baghdad, Syria, Karbala, Beirut, Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah. He visited the shrines of many spiritual and religious scholars as well as many notable mosques and historical holy places.[13]

In 1976, Okarvi established in South Africa, Anjuman Ahl-e-Sunnat Wa Jamaa'at.[2][3]

In 1974, Okarvi formed the Jamaa'at e Ahle Sunnat in Durban, South Africa, which attracted up to 10,000 members.[14]

Okarvi made the journey to Mecca for Hajj, Ziyaarat and Umrah sixteen times.[13]

He was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan in 1977.[15]

He was made the Chief of Tahreek-e-Khatm-e-Nabuwwat in Sahiwal district in 1952-1953.[16]

In 1974, Okarvi had a heart attack. In 1975, he had another heart attack and came to Karachi, where he received cardiac treatment for six weeks. On 20 April 1984, he delivered his last speech at the congregation of Jum'ah Salaat at Jaame Masjid Gulzar-e-Habeeb. That evening, Okarvi had a third heart attack and was admitted to the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases. After three days, on 24 April 1984, he died at the age of 54.[21]

On 23 March 1985, President Zia-ul-Haq awarded the Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence) to Okarvi due to his contributions and religious services in Pakistan.[1] In 2013, he was posthumously awarded the Nazaria-i-Pakistan Trust Gold Medal by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif as a Pakistan Movement activist.[22]

• Official Website
• Okarvi Blog