Popular Pakistani preacher Tariq Jameel of the Tablighi Jamaat has recovered after being diagnosed with Covid-19. Since his recovery, his opinions about the Wuhan Coronavirus appears to have undergone somewhat of a shift. While he was earlier blaming women for the deadly pandemic, he now seems acquired the sensitivity to spread awareness about measures people can take to prevent catching the virus.
Maulana Tariq Jameel is Pakistan's most celebrated Tablighi Islamic Speaker. Recently he was diagnosed with #COVID19#TariqJameel often claims to be very close to Bollywood Actor Amir Khan pic.twitter.com/Wh7vC9ev5p
— Jammu-Kashmir Now (@JammuKashmirNow) December 26, 2020
In a video message to people, Tariq Jameel said that he did not know what the Coronavirus was and then he got infected by it. And with the blessings of Allah, he managed to survive after spending 10 days at the hospital. He said that Allah has sent this disease as a test but told everyone to wear masks and practice social distancing. He also said that older people are at greater risk from the virus.
In June, he had suggested that the Coronavirus pandemic was a punishment from Allah and decried looking at the world through a ‘Sciency mode’ and concluding that some catastrophe is caused by a virus. Prior to that, in April, Tariq Jameel addressed an event and blamed women for the pandemic while crying profusely. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was in attendance when that happened.
While asking for Dua, Jameel was seen crying like a man-boy begging Allah to save the world from the Wuhan Coronavirus. He had said that when Muslim women and the youth indulge in shameless and immodest behaviour, then Allah inflicts pain and agony on humans.
Who is Maulana Tariq Jameel?
Maulana Tariq Jameel is one of the most prominent Islamic television preacher, religious writer, scholar and a member of the Tablighi Jamaat. He belongs to the Deobandi school of Islam. He regularly offers sermons on self-purification, the importance of following Allah’s diktats and following the path shown by Prophet Muhammad.
He was born on the 1st of January, 1953 at Mian Channu in the Punjab Province of Pakistan. He is an alumnus of the Government College University, Lahore. He received his Islamic education from Jamia Arabia, Raiwind, where he studied Qur’an, Hadith, Sufism, logic, and Islamic jurisprudence.
Maulana Tariq Jameel holds great influence among Urban Muslims. According to the Muslim 500, “In addition to running a madrasa in Faisalabad, Pakistan, Maulana Tariq has delivered thousands of lectures around the world. He has been very effective in influencing all types of the community ranging from businessmen and landlords to ministers, actors, and sports celebrities.”
The Tablighi Jamaat preacher also claims to have a close relationship with Bollywood actor Amir Khan and apparently, continued to receive texts from him long after meeting him in Hajj.