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.