Alas! Maulana Isa Mansuri (May Allah Have Mercy on Him)

In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.

Today, Saturday, 7 November 2026, after returning home from the Fajr prayer, I began receiving one distressing message after another informing me that the well-known London-based Islamic scholar, one of our oldest friends, and a sincere servant of the religious and Muslim community, Hazrat Maulana Isa Mansuri (may Allah have mercy on him), had departed from this world.

Although Maulana had been bedridden for quite some time, and in view of his illness the possibility of his passing had already begun to occupy my thoughts, the news of the death of a long-standing friend is nonetheless a profound shock. Death is an undeniable reality, but the loss of certain people leaves a feeling of grief that lingers in the heart for a long time.

My relationship with the late Maulana goes back to the very time when I first came to England. It was not merely a formal acquaintance; rather, over the years, it developed into a relationship marked by affection, familiarity and genuine warmth. I visited his home frequently, and he too came to my humble home on numerous occasions. During these visits, we would discuss religious and communal affairs, exchange views on various issues, and enjoy the relaxed company of an old friend.

As I recall those moments today, my heart cannot help but feel deeply saddened. That familiar face, those affectionate meetings and those lengthy conversations have now become part of the past, preserved only in memory. Perhaps one does not fully appreciate the value of such moments while they are still within reach; it is only after they have passed that their true worth becomes apparent.

One quality of the late Maulana that has always remained particularly prominent in my mind was his profound concern and anguish for Islam and the Muslims. The condition of the Muslim Ummah constantly troubled him. He was not among those who merely commented on circumstances or expressed regret over them. Rather, he was always actively engaged in one religious, intellectual or communal undertaking or another.

He was especially concerned about the religious, intellectual and collective life of Muslims, the Islamic identity of the younger generation, and the future of Muslims in Western society. His conversations made it abundantly clear that concern for the Ummah was not merely a formal subject of discussion for him; it was a deeply rooted and abiding sentiment in his heart. He wanted Muslims to remain firmly attached to their religion, to recognise their intellectual and scholarly heritage, and to lead dignified Islamic lives within the societies in which they lived.

In matters of thought and intellectual orientation, he had a particular devotion to the great Islamic thinker, Hazrat Maulana Sayyid Abul Hasan Ali Hasani Nadwi (may Allah have mercy on him). He was a deeply committed admirer of Maulana’s ideas and intellectual vision. Following his passing, he also maintained a special attachment to his successor, Hazrat Maulana Sayyid Muhammad Rabi Hasani Nadwi (may Allah have mercy on him).

The influence of these eminent scholars was clearly reflected in Maulana Mansuri’s intellectual and scholarly outlook. He firmly believed that the reform and guidance of the Ummah required religious insight, sound intellectual awareness and a profound understanding of contemporary circumstances.

His association with the Tablighi Jamaat was also very close. On the advice of Hazrat Ji Maulana Inamul Hasan Kandhlawi (may Allah have mercy on him), the third Amir of the Tablighi Jamaat, he was sent to Britain. He was among the earliest imams at the East London Markaz. In this way, he became closely associated with the history of Islamic preaching and missionary activity in Britain. He devoted a substantial part of his life to inviting people towards Islam, promoting religious awareness and working for the moral and religious reform of Muslims.
His scholarly and missionary connections were also extensive. He had studied alongside Hazrat Maulana Yusuf Motala (may Allah have mercy on him) and maintained particularly close relationships with distinguished personalities such as Haji Musa Babar (may Allah have mercy on him), Fazl Karim, the brother of Ahmadabad, and Qazi Abdul Wahab (may Allah have mercy on him). These associations give an indication of the breadth of his scholarly and missionary circles and his close connections with prominent religious figures.

Maulana Isa Mansuri was a scholar of the pen, a thinker and a man of intellectual insight. He authored hundreds of articles and several books. His writings reflected his commitment to Islamic thought, the propagation of religion, the challenges facing the Ummah and the reform of Muslim society.

As the founder and chairman of the World Islamic Forum, he also played a prominent role in providing intellectual and scholarly guidance to Muslims and in promoting various missionary and religious activities. His services to Muslim communities in Britain and beyond undoubtedly deserve recognition and appreciation. His scholarly writings, intellectual contributions and sustained missionary efforts constitute a valuable legacy.

However, as I sit down to write about him today, the first image that comes to mind is not that of his scholarly publications or missionary activities, but that of a long-standing friend. The relationship that began in the early years of my arrival in England, my numerous visits to his home, his visits to ours, and the countless conversations we shared are among my most precious memories.

His scholarly and communal services are important in their own right, but on a personal level, his departure represents the loss of a companion with whom I shared a considerable part of my life.

Such is the reality of life: certain people become part of our everyday existence through their presence, but when they depart, their absence continues to be felt for a very long time. Maulana’s passing is a significant loss for the Muslim scholarly and missionary community in Britain. For me, however, it is also a personal bereavement: the loss of an old friend, a sincere companion and a person of great warmth and affection.

I pray before Allah Almighty that He grants Hazrat Maulana Isa Mansuri complete forgiveness, overlooks his shortcomings, fills his grave with light, accepts all his scholarly, missionary, literary and communal services, and makes his efforts a source of ongoing reward (Sadaqah Jariyah).

May Allah elevate his ranks, grant him the highest station in Jannat al-Firdaws, and bless his family, associates, students and all those who loved him with patience and beautiful endurance.

Indeed, we belong to Allah, and indeed, to Him we shall return.

Alas, Maulana! There will be no more meetings with you, no more of those informal and affectionate gatherings, and no more occasions when your visits to our home would bring life and warmth to our gatherings.

Yet the companionship we shared over so many years, your affection, your religious vision and your deep concern for the Muslim Ummah will remain alive in our memories for ever.

A person may depart from this world, but the marks left by his sincerity, affection and service remain behind.

May Allah Almighty make all the stages of your journey in the Hereafter easy, and grant us too the ability to follow in the footsteps of His righteous servants.

He departed in such a way that even the season itself changed;

One man left, and the entire city was plunged into desolation.