Shia Cleric Maulana Sadiq Passes Away; PM Modi Offers Condolences

Maulana Sadiq was an educationist, Islamic scholar and an ambassador of communal amity.

Maulana Kalbe Sadiq.

(Image Courtesy: Twitter)

Prominent Shia cleric and All India Muslim Personal Law Board Vice President Maulana Kalbe Sadiq passed away in a private hospital in Lucknow on Tuesday, 24 November, after prolonged illness. He was 83 years old.

Sadiq’s son Kalbe Sibtai said that his father was admitted to the ICU on 17 November.

Maulana Sadiq was suffering from colorectal cancer with metastasis with severe pneumonia, UTI and septic shock with acute kidney shutdown with paralytic ileus.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered condolences on the demise of Maulana Sadiq. The Prime Minister said that his work towards social harmony and brotherhood is remarkable.

“The passing away of Maulana Kalbe Sadiq, who was the Deputy Chairman of All India Muslim Personal Law Board, was very sad,” PM Modi tweeted in Hindi.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the cleric's demise and said he prayed for peace for the departed soul. He also expressed his deepest condolences to the family members of the cleric.

Maulana Sadiq grabbed headlines in 2017, when he advocated for peace in the issue of Babri Masjid, stating that if the Supreme Court’s verdict is in their favour, then the Muslim community should give up their claim on the disputed land, reported Financial Express.

An educationist, Islamic scholar, and an ambassador of communal amity, Sadiq was born in Lucknow's famous Khandaan-e-Ijtehaad. His father was Maulana Kalbe Husain and his brother was Maulana Kalbe Abid, both of whom held a strong standing in the community, reported IANS.

His initial education was from Sultan-ul-Madaris in Lucknow, followed by further education at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). He did a PhD in Arabic literature. Besides Arabic, Sadiq was proficient in Urdu, Persian, English, and Hindi.

Maulana Sadiq’s following among Sunni Muslims and Hindus was as strong as among Shias. He was the driving force behind the 'Joint Shia-Sunni Namaaz' on Islamic festivals started by S2S volunteers.

(With inputs from IANS and PTI)