Founder

The Mohiuddin Trust was founded by the late Shaykh Pir Muhammad Alauddin Siddiqui Sahib (Rehum Tul Alaihi), recognised as one of the most senior spiritual leaders of the British Muslim community at the time of his passing in 2017.

From a young age, Muhammad Alauddin Siddiqui was charged with running the soup kitchen at the khanaqa (lodge) of his father, a renowned Sufi scholar and teacher in his own right, in Pakistan, where he developed a lifelong commitment to personally attending the needy. In 1968 he began visiting his father’s followers in the UK, particularly Birmingham, where he shared Sufi teachings based on the Qur’an and the poetry of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi – which would become the hallmark of his engaging talks. He was 38 when his father passed away, making him the spiritual heir of the family’s Naqshbandi tariqa (order).

The Founder

Pir Alauddin Siddiqui Sahib, as he now became respectfully known, quickly rose to prominence for his scholarship as much as for his gentle bearing and attentiveness to everyone who met him. Not only did he travel widely in Pakistan providing guidance to his growing numbers of disciples, he spent much of his time in the UK, where he encouraged the building of hundreds of Masjids (mosques) and offered individual counsel and mentorship at any time of the day to many young Pakistani men who had emigrated to the UK and were struggling in their personal lives.

Pir Alauddin Siddiqui Sahib played a pivotal role in establishing Sufism – the spiritual tradition of Islam – in the UK from his base at the Aston Park Masjid, Birmingham, where he led Friday congregational prayers and ensured that food was distributed daily to those in need. He also established regular circles of zikr (remembrance of God) and one of the nation’s first Mawlid processions celebrating the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). In recent years, these events were attended by 30-40,000 people from across the world and from different faith groups, including community representatives and high profile dignitaries.

Over the course of his life, Pir Alauddin Siddiqui Sahib raised millions of pounds in funding for a range of educational and humanitarian initiatives, helping the poor and needy across the globe. Pir Alauddin Siddiqui Sahib established Noor TV, a popular satellite channel operating from Aston in Birmingham, in which he expounded on the poetry of Rumi, sharing guidance and wisdom to bring positive transformation in people’s lives. Pir Sahib, as he was affectionately known, established many Masjids, schools and even a college in Burnley.

The Shaykh’s largest educational projects in Pakistan were the Mohiuddin Islamic University, which houses thousands of students from all over the globe and offers free education to the underprivileged; and the Mohiuddin Islamic Medical College, which trains 200 male and female qualified doctors every year – the largest of its kind in the country.

Today, Pir Sahib’s followers – thought to number ten’s of thousands in the UK, and millions worldwide, have been generous donors to hundreds of humanitarian projects that he led. When Pakistan was hit by heavy floods in 2010, Pir Sahib issued a call for funds that quickly enabled his centres to care for more than 5,000 people who had lost their homes.

Perhaps Pir Sahib’s most significant project, which he was sadly unable to finish in his own lifetime, was the rebuilding of the Jamia Masjid in Aston, Birmingham, and the fulfilment of this wish is a primary focus of the Mohiuddin Trust today. Envisioned as much as a community-led hub as a place of worship, this building will cater to many central aspects of Muslim life, from daily prayers, communal meals and events to education and mortuary services.

When Pir Alauddin Siddiqui Sahib (Rehum Tul Alahai) passed away, on the 3rd of February 2017, his funeral was attended by approximately 20,000 people and took place at the local Aston Park – one of the largest funerals ever held in Birmingham. Many members of other local faith groups were in attendance to pay their respects to this well-loved figure. Among Muslims, his work earned him the respect of fellow scholars and leaders, as well as a place on the list of the 500 Most Influential Muslims in the world. We wish to honour this great spiritual teacher’s legacy and continue his tradition of serving all those in need, regardless of colour or religion, with this landmark centre.

Before you give your hand, you give your heart.

- Pir Alauddin Siddiqui Sahib (Rehum Tul Alaihi ) 1938-2017 -