
👤 Basic Information
- Full Name: Muhammad Ali Mirza
- Title: Engineer (used informally due to his academic background)
- Date of Birth: October 4, 1977
- Place of Birth: Jhelum, Punjab, Pakistan
- Nationality: Pakistani
- Languages: Urdu (primary), with references from Arabic and Persian texts
- Religion: Islam (Sunni, Reformist approach)
- Known For: Independent Islamic scholarship, reformist preaching, online lectures, religious critique
🧒 Early Life and Education
- Born and raised in Jhelum, a small city in the Punjab province of Pakistan.
- Grew up in a religious family that emphasized education and discipline.
- From a young age, Muhammad Ali showed an interest in reading and religious study.
🎓 Formal Education
- Holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Taxila.
- Worked as a government engineer in the public sector before moving to full-time religious education and public speaking.
📚 Religious Education and Independent Scholarship
- Not a graduate of any traditional Islamic seminary (madrasa), which sets him apart from many traditional scholars.
- Instead, he pursued self-study of the Qur’an, Hadith, and classical Islamic texts, relying on a wide array of sources:
- Sunni Hadith collections: Sahih Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood, etc.
- Shi’a sources like Nahjul Balagha and Al-Kafi
- Books of classical scholars: Ibn Taymiyyah, Imam Ghazali, Shah Waliullah, and others
- He describes his method as non-sectarian, logical, and evidence-based, and insists on interpreting Islam directly from the Qur’an and Sahih Hadiths.
🕌 Career as a Religious Speaker
❗ Key Traits:
- Speaks openly against sectarianism, religious intolerance, and blind following (taqlid) of any single school of thought.
- Often criticizes Sunni, Shi’a, Deobandi, Barelvi, Wahhabi, and Ahl-e-Hadith scholars alike if he finds inconsistencies or innovations.
- Argues for unity among Muslims and returning to the Qur’an and authentic Hadith.
📺 YouTube and Digital Media
- Gained widespread popularity through his YouTube channel, where he delivers Urdu-language lectures, short clips, and Q&A sessions.
- Known for his series “Question & Answer Sessions” where he discusses religious, social, political, and sectarian issues.
- His videos attract millions of views, and he has a massive digital following in Pakistan, India, the Middle East, and among Urdu-speaking communities worldwide.
🧠 Core Beliefs and Teachings
Theme | Views |
---|---|
Unity of Muslims | Advocates for transcending sectarian divisions and promotes a pan-Islamic brotherhood. |
Qur’an and Hadith | Emphasizes returning to the Qur’an and authentic Hadith as the only legitimate sources of religious authority. |
Critique of Religious Leaders | Strongly criticizes religious exploitation, innovations (Bid’ah), and blind following of sect leaders. |
Rational Interpretation | Encourages critical thinking and rational understanding of religion in modern times. |
Jihad & Extremism | Condemns terrorism, extremism, and political misuse of Islam. |
Science and Religion | Advocates compatibility between modern science and Islamic beliefs. |
⚔️ Controversies
Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza is highly controversial, and his work has been both praised and condemned:
🧨 Threats and Legal Challenges
- Multiple fatwas (religious decrees) have been issued against him by traditional clerics, accusing him of heresy and blasphemy.
- Survived assassination attempts due to his outspoken criticism of religious extremism and clergy.
- Has faced FIRs (legal cases) and been arrested briefly on blasphemy-related charges, though later released.
🏛️ Defense
- Mirza maintains that he speaks only on the basis of Qur’an and Sahih Hadith.
- Claims to be neutral and reformist, targeting no particular sect but criticizing all forms of sectarian corruption and religious monopoly.
🛠️ Bayānāt and Online Content
He has produced a large collection of videos and writings on topics such as:
- Islamic theology and Tawheed
- Hadith authenticity and misinterpretation
- Comparative study of Sunni and Shi’a beliefs
- Critiques of popular Sufi practices
- Women’s rights in Islam
- Contemporary issues like Halala, polygamy, and Islamic punishment laws
🕌 Online Institute
Mirza runs a free-of-cost online Islamic learning platform where he teaches:
- Hadith Studies
- Arabic Language (Basic)
- Fiqh Comparisons
- Contemporary Islamic Challenges
All content is freely available and supported by donations rather than fees.
👨👩👧👦 Personal Life
- Resides in Jhelum, where he also records most of his lectures.
- Married with children.
- Lives a relatively simple and private life, rarely seen in public except during recordings or charity work.
💬 Notable Quotes
“Main kisi firqay ka nahi, main sirf Allah aur uske Rasool ka follower hoon.”
(I do not follow any sect; I only follow Allah and His Messenger.)
“Jab tak Quran aur Sahih Hadith nahi parha jaye, deen nahi samjha ja sakta.”
(Religion cannot be understood without reading the Qur’an and authentic Hadith.)
🌍 Influence and Legacy
Despite being a controversial figure, Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza has:
- Inspired a new wave of independent thinkers in Islamic discourse
- Encouraged inter-sect unity and critical engagement with religious texts
- Provided a free platform for Islamic education for Urdu-speaking Muslims worldwide
- Triggered debates among traditional scholars on issues of Hadith science, fiqh, and sectarianism
🏁 Conclusion
Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza remains a powerful and polarizing voice in the contemporary Muslim world. While he faces strong resistance from established religious institutions, many consider him a voice of reason, reform, and truth in the cluttered landscape of sectarian Islam.
He continues his mission to educate the public; challenge established norms and revive a Qur’an- and Hadith-centered understanding of Islam—free from cultural baggage and sectarian filters.
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