Staff Reporter Lahore
Religious scholar Maulana Tariq Jamil, in a video posted on social media, has revealed details about his upcoming namesake clothing brand.
In this video, he also cited the reasons he chose to venture into a clothing business. Speaking about his madressahs where numerous students come to acquire religious education, he said operations had to be halted at the start of the pandemic due to depleted finances.
“I would pray to God to create a scenario where we didn’t just have to rely on zakat from people,” he said. “My madressah never had an administration asking for charity.
It was always me getting in touch with people I know, who would then contribute whatever they liked. However, after the pandemic I realised that everyone had been affected and I said to myself I cannot ask anyone for any more aid.
I then wondered ‘how will the system work now’?” he said, revealing how the idea came into being.
“When the pandemic hit, I then had the intention of starting a business whose profits could sustain the seminaries,” he added, thanking some of his friends and financiers who contributed to the cause and helped him establish his namesake brand MTJ.
But he clarified that the business wasn’t established for the sole purpose of making money. “My entire life, I haven’t made money,” he said. “
God has blessed me with whatever I have. Instead, the profits will be used on the MTJ Foundation, which we envision can establish a great hospital and school,” Maulana Jameel said, explaining how the latter was already in process and required a great amount of investment.
“In the Subcontinent, ulema involved in businesses are looked down upon and criticised, though I don’t know where this is coming from,” the religious scholar continued, citing the example of Imam Abu Hanifa who was a huge trader and cloth merchant of his time.
“In our era, a maulvi is only looked upon as a beggar. Someone who begs in front of people,” he said, reiterating that the brand wasn’t created for business purposes and praying that his madressah and religious institutions could sustain themselves even after he has left this world.
