Kaukab Noorani Okarvi

Kaukab Noorani Okarvi (; born 17 August 1957) is a Pakistani religious scholar and writer of Ahle-Sunnat Wa Jamaa’at Sunni. He is the son of Muhammad Shafee Okarvi, who was the founder of the Jamaat Ahle Sunnat, the main Barelvi organisation of Pakistan.

Early life and education

Okarvi was born in Karachi, Pakistan. Before his birth in a family of eleven brothers and sisters, his two eldest brothers had died. He is from a business family of Yeman who embraced Islam through Abu Bakr. His ancestors came to India centuries ago for business and settled there. His elders were mostly businessmen by profession but personally they had a spiritual temperament in nature. In his book, Deoband to Bareilly he writes, "To tell you the truth, I am a mere seeker of knowledge in the fields of religion, spirituality, and scholastic matters. This little bit recognition of letters and words and the skills of experimenting with them that have come to me, it is mostly because of my environment which was due to my kind parents, paternal grandfather, maternal grandmother, teachers and holy people. These revered and respected personalities have guided my learning at every stage of my life." He was admitted to the second grade at Government Boys Primary School. He led the assemblies with Qira’at and Na’at.

During that period he developed love for poetry and literature. At the age of 13, he established an organization of students and youth called "Bazm-e-Shaheen Pakistan". Its main purpose was to inculcate religious principles, support poor students, and organize competitions of Qira’at, Na’at and speeches and to celebrate Islamic festivals. He also took leave from the school for one and a half years so he could memorize the Qur'an. The medium of his teaching is through speeches, television, radio, computer, books, magazines, and newspaper. In twenty eight years after the departing of his beloved father he has only been able to thoroughly explain seven parts of the holy Qur'an, due to his research in each topic in the Friday congregation in Jaame Masjid Gulzar-e-Habeeb, Karachi. When asked how he developed his humor he replied, "Gham Sehh kar Hansna Hansaana Aa gaya" ("I learned to laugh and make others laugh after enduring pain"). Some of his books are used as reference texts by students and scholars. He wanted to become a researcher and a professor, but his father wanted him to become a religious and spiritual scholar like him. Therefore, initially part-time and then in 1984, after his father's death, Okarvi started giving formal orations and teaching. Beside this he manages charities (Sadaqaat-e-Jaariyah) and two organizations for the printing of Islamic books: Karmaan Waalaa Publishers and Noorani Kutub Khaanah. In 1976, he performed his first hajj. In 1977, he traveled to India for the first time where he visited many cities, shrines, mosques and gave lectures. Since then he has often been invited by Muslim groups in different countries to give lectures. It was always his desire to start his journey to any country via Madinah so that he could receive the blessings of Muhammad. Therefore, he has visited Madinah more than 50 times. He established for the first time many religious schools in many countries. In Pakistan as well as abroad he participated in many educational and religious conferences. He has visited some of these countries several times.

The book was first published in English by Maulana Okarvi Academy (Al-A'lami) in South Africa and then in Urdu in Pakistan. This book became popular with the public.