Sarim Noor & Minhaj-ul-Quran

My Journey with Minhaj-ul-Quran

From an Unfamiliar Personality to an Extraordinary Journey

Today, I have the honour of serving as President of Minhaj Youth League Karachi. Minhaj Youth League is the youth platform of Tehreek Minhaj-ul-Quran. When I look back from where I stand today, I sometimes find it difficult to believe where this journey began, the stages through which it passed, and how it eventually brought me here.

This journey did not begin with organizational membership or through the continuous invitation of a Minhaj-ul-Quran worker. No organizational representative repeatedly persuaded me to join the movement, no one continuously took me to Minhaj gatherings, and no one formally recruited me into the organization.

However, my Ustad Ji played a decisive role in this journey. At one point, he gave me a book by Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri along with two CDs of his lectures and asked me to read and listen to them.

The truth is that until 2013, I did not properly know Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri at all.

Perhaps that is what makes this entire journey so extraordinary for me.

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The Beginning of a Religious and Spiritual Search

Around 2012–2013, a noticeable transformation began taking place in my life and thinking.

I was living the life of an ordinary young man, but gradually I began developing a stronger inclination towards religion. My interest in worship, religious environments and understanding faith continued to grow.

This change was not limited to my thoughts. It began reflecting in my lifestyle and appearance as well. I started wearing traditional Shalwar Kameez more regularly, almost stopped wearing shirts and trousers, began wearing a cap, and started spending time in different religious and preaching environments.

I spent time with different religious circles, attended their gatherings and tried in my own way to become closer to faith.

All these experiences contributed to my development, yet somewhere within me a search still remained.

I was moving closer to religion, but I had not yet found the intellectual and spiritual contentment for which my heart seemed to be searching.

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"I Don't Understand This Man"

During the days of Rabi-ul-Awwal in 2014, I went on a three-day religious and preaching journey.

One morning during that journey, I had to go out to purchase a few personal items I had forgotten. A friend I had met during that journey accompanied me.

On the way, I noticed a poster displayed on a rickshaw carrying a photograph of Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri in connection with the political activities of that period.

I looked at his photograph and casually remarked:

"I don't understand this man."

At that moment, it was nothing more than an ordinary remark.

Today, however, after so many years, when I look back at my complete journey, that sentence carries a very different meaning for me.

I sometimes ask myself:

How did I eventually reach Minhaj-ul-Quran?

No Minhaj worker was following me around convincing me. Nobody continuously explained the movement to me, and no one repeatedly took me to its gatherings.

That is why, in my own personal spiritual reflection, I sometimes feel that perhaps that very remark became the unseen beginning of a journey I myself knew nothing about.

Sometimes I feel as though perhaps my Lord did not like the way I spoke about one of His righteous servants, and a path was opened for me as if to say:

"You do not understand who he is? Then come, and you will be shown who he is."

I do not present this as a Divine claim or an absolute certainty. It is simply my personal spiritual reflection when I look back at everything that happened afterwards.

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My Ustad Ji

If there is one person whom I consider the most important human means in this journey, it is my childhood religious teacher, whom I have always called "Ustad Ji."

His name is Allama Hafiz Muhammad Bilal Suhrawardi.

He is an Islamic scholar, Imam and Khateeb, and he has played an extremely important role in my religious education and upbringing since childhood.

Although I received religious education from different places during my early years, in practical life it was Ustad Ji whom I most frequently approached for religious questions, guidance and understanding.

Even today, his number remains saved in my phone as "Ustad Ji." What makes this even more special is that I did not save the name myself; Ustad Ji personally saved his own number in my phone under the name "Ustad Ji," and it has remained saved that way ever since. I still often introduce him to others by that same affectionate title.

Ustad Ji noticed the religious changes taking place in my life and understood that my thinking and religious orientation were undergoing a significant transition.

Instead of rebuking me or trying to stop me harshly, he spoke to me, guided me and encouraged me to reconsider several matters.

Then one day, he called me to meet him.

That meeting became one of the most important turning points of my journey.

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One Book and Two CDs

Ustad Ji handed me one book and two CDs.

The book was:

Iman ka Markaz-o-Mahwar

Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri

The two CDs also contained lectures by Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri.

While giving them to me, Ustad Ji said:

"If you want to keep your Aqeedah sound, listen to him and read his work. I am not telling you to join his movement or become associated with his organization. I myself am not a member of Minhaj-ul-Quran."

Those words are extremely important to me.

Ustad Ji did not bring me into Minhaj-ul-Quran. He simply opened a door of knowledge for me.

Whether I walked through that door or not was left to me.

I trusted my Ustad Ji deeply, so taking what he had given me seriously was completely natural.

I began reading the book.

I began listening to the CDs.

And another journey began.

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Three Different Sources of Learning

During that period, I listened to three prominent scholars for different aspects of religious learning.

I primarily listened to Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri for matters of Aqeedah, intellectual discussion and theological understanding.

I listened to Maulana Tariq Jameel for talks relating to one's relationship with Allah, spiritual reflection, repentance and emotional devotion.

I also listened to Maulana Muhammad Imran Attari for practical religious matters, Sunnah and everyday religious guidance.

In my mind, there was no competition between these personalities. I benefited from each of them in different areas.

Gradually, however, something changed.

I began finding within Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri's lectures many of the spiritual subjects for which I had previously listened to other scholars. I also discovered his extensive work on Sunnah, character, worship and practical religious life.

Gradually, my listening became centred on one personality:

Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri.

Eventually, I reached a point where I was listening to him almost every day.

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Questions, Criticism and My Own Research

During the same period, I began encountering different criticisms, allegations and negative material about Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri through the internet.

I did not ignore them.

I read them.

I questioned them.

I researched them.

What was interesting was that just as the questions and allegations reached me on their own, their responses, context and relevant facts also continued appearing through my own research.

No Minhaj-ul-Quran worker was sitting beside me trying to convince me.

No one could later say:

"I explained this allegation to Sarim and convinced him."

I was reading for myself, questioning for myself, examining different perspectives for myself, and forming my own conclusions.

The result was that the criticism did not reduce my attachment. Instead, it strengthened it.

As my intellectual confidence increased, something else began growing even more strongly:

Love.

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The Longing to See Him

After listening to Dr Sahib continuously, a point came when listening to his lectures was no longer enough for me.

An intense desire developed within me:

I wanted to see him in person.

I was not looking for a position. I was not part of any Minhaj organizational network.

I simply wanted to see the person whose lectures had created such a profound change in my intellectual and spiritual journey.

The longing continued to grow.

Eventually, that longing took me to Lahore.

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Lahore — August 2014

Following the Model Town tragedy of 17 June 2014 and the developments that followed, Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri returned to Pakistan.

Youm-e-Shuhada was to be held in Lahore on 10 August 2014.

For many people, the circumstances at that time were political.

For me, they were entirely different.

I did not fully understand the politics of revolution. I did not know what the plan ahead would be, and I was not travelling to Lahore as part of any political strategy.

My purpose was very simple:

Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri is in Lahore, and perhaps I will finally have the opportunity to see him.

During this period, Ustad Ji introduced me to Afzal, who was associated with Pakistan Awami Tehreek at some level.

Obtaining leave from work was difficult. I was even given a serious warning regarding my job.

But only one thought dominated my mind:

I wanted to see Dr Sahib.

And I left for Lahore.

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The First Sight — 9 August 2014

On 9 August 2014, in Model Town, Lahore, I saw Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri with my own eyes for the first time.

He was inside a vehicle.

There was glass between us.

It may only have lasted a few moments.

Yet even today, I find it difficult to fully describe what I felt in those moments.

There was an unusual sense of peace.

An extraordinary feeling of love.

A sense of emotional fulfilment.

I simply kept looking at him.

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A Feeling That Remains Even Today

Since that first sight, Allah has blessed me with opportunities I could never have imagined in 2014.

I have had the opportunity to sit close to Dr Sahib during his lectures, benefit from his presence during collective Itikaf, speak and meet with him, and even sit beside him and touch and hold his feet out of love and reverence.

During my media responsibilities in Karachi, I was entrusted with covering his programmes and speeches. I even had opportunities to assist with something as simple as arranging or adjusting his microphone.

Yet one feeling has remained unchanged.

When Dr Sahib is speaking in front of me, I often become more absorbed in looking at him than in consciously retaining every word he says.

If someone asks me after the speech what he said, I may not remember the details. Later, when I listen to the same speech on video, I realise how many important points he made.

But when he is physically in front of me, I often simply keep looking at him.

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10 August 2014 — The Raised Hand

During Youm-e-Shuhada on 10 August 2014, a moment came when Dr Sahib asked those prepared to continue with him to demonstrate their commitment.

Suddenly, I faced a major personal decision.

I had not come to Lahore for a revolution.

I had not come for politics.

I had not planned to join a sit-in.

I had come simply to see him.

My family, job and responsibilities were all back in Karachi.

For a few moments, I struggled internally.

Then I switched off my mobile phone, placed it inside my bag, and…

I raised my hand.

For me, the matter was very simple:

My Quaid had asked who was prepared to accompany him.

And I made my decision:

I would go with him.

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The Inqilab March — Lahore to Islamabad

On 14 August 2014, the Inqilab March departed Lahore for Islamabad.

I was only 21 years old at the time.

I knew very little about the movement's organizational structure. I did not even know which vehicles carried the Karachi delegation or how the complete logistical network operated.

Afzal and I simply found our way from one vehicle to another as the journey progressed.

During this journey, I met someone whose role became very important in my story:

Khurram Saeedi Sahib.

I spent a significant part of the journey sitting high on the railing or piping of a truck.

I was young, full of energy, and driven by an extraordinary sense of enthusiasm.

Because our truck sometimes travelled some distance ahead of the main convoy, I witnessed scenes along the route that remain vividly preserved in my memory.

In different cities, people waited with flowers. At many places, crowds stood along the road. Even on elevated and mountainous terrain, people could be seen waiting for the caravan.

I had travelled to Lahore carrying love for my Quaid in my own heart.

On that journey, I witnessed the same love, expectation and hope in the eyes of countless other people.

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Islamabad and D-Chowk

Eventually, we reached Islamabad, and the Inqilab March developed into a prolonged sit-in.

The days I spent there became an education in themselves.

Interestingly, whenever I stood close to Dr Sahib during his speeches, I would often wrap a flag around my face so television cameras would not clearly show me and my family would not become worried.

Later, I discovered that my parents were already deeply worried.

At that time, we did not have regular access to news channels at home. My mother and father would visit other people's homes simply to watch the news and find out what was happening in Islamabad and whether I was safe.

I was hiding my face to prevent them from worrying.

And they were going from place to place searching the news for me.

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The Night of 30 August 2014

On the night of 30 August 2014, the situation became extremely serious. As protesters moved towards the Prime Minister House area, intense clashes took place between police and protesters, with tear gas, rubber bullets and baton charges reported.

During those days, I had developed a close bond with the children of Khurram Saeedi Sahib.

When the tear-gas shelling began, I handed the children the protective items I had with me, including my mask and water.

Khurram Saeedi Sahib then asked me to help him take the children away from the dangerous area.

I went with him.

Once the children had reached a safer place, my immediate reaction was:

I have to go back to my companions.

I tried to return, but Khurram Saeedi Sahib stopped me.

Conditions at the entry point had become extremely dangerous. He explained that if I could safely reach my companions, he would let me go, but under the circumstances I could be injured outside while nobody inside would even know where I was.

I insisted.

He firmly refused.

Eventually, I listened to him.

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A Decision Whose Importance I Understood Later

Later in life, I often realised that sometimes being prevented from going somewhere can itself become a means of protection from Allah.

When I look back today, Khurram Saeedi Sahib's decision to stop me from returning feels extremely important in my personal journey.

Had I, God forbid, gone back into the intense shelling and chaos, been struck by a rubber bullet, become seriously injured, been taken to hospital or become caught in another serious situation, the consequences for me might have been very different.

At that stage, I was not formally part of the movement's organizational network. I did not yet have the deep understanding of the mission, its structure and its people that I developed in later years.

I had arrived driven by love, emotion and the intensity of a very new connection.

It is possible that an extremely traumatic experience at that early stage could have left me disheartened, or that my parents and family, out of fear and concern, might have strongly prevented me from becoming involved again.

But that did not happen.

I remained safe, and instead of breaking my connection, the experience became part of the journey ahead.

This does not mean in any way that those who were injured, struck by rubber bullets, arrested, imprisoned or subjected to extreme hardship somehow stepped back. Absolutely not. Many of them demonstrated extraordinary courage, sacrifice and steadfastness.

I am speaking only about my own personal, mental and organizational condition at that particular stage.

Looking back, I feel that perhaps remaining safe at that point became one of the reasons I was able to continue the journey ahead.

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2 September — Returning to the Sit-In and My First Meeting with Rao Tayyab

After leaving the protest area with Khurram Saeedi Sahib on the night of 30 August, the severity of the situation meant that I could not return to my companions immediately.

My heart remained there.

Finally, on 2 September 2014, I returned to the sit-in and rejoined my companions.

On the same day, near the outer wall facing Parliament House, Khurram Saeedi Sahib introduced me to Rao Tayyab Sahib for the first time.

While introducing me, Khurram Saeedi Sahib particularly mentioned my social-media work and told him that I was a young person doing considerable work online.

A photograph of Rao Tayyab Sahib and me was also taken at that location in front of Parliament House.

At the time, I had no idea that this brief meeting would later develop into an important relationship in my organizational journey.

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6 September 2014 — Returning to Karachi

After spending a few more days at the sit-in, I felt that I now needed to return to my personal and professional responsibilities.

Finally, on 6 September 2014, I left Islamabad and began my journey back to Karachi.

Physically, I was returning to Karachi.

My heart was still there.

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Welcomed as "Ghazi"

When I returned to work in Karachi, one moment remained particularly memorable.

We had a colleague whom I respectfully called Misbah Bhai. His full name was Misbah-ul-Haq.

We had differences on some religious matters, and he was not always comfortable with the direction my religious thinking had taken.

Yet when I returned, he welcomed me with one word:

"Ghazi!"

May Allah grant him complete forgiveness and an elevated place in Jannat-ul-Firdous. Ameen.

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Back in Karachi — A New Form of Service

After returning to Karachi, my connection with the movement initially continued mainly through digital and social media work.

I was already familiar with the internet and social platforms. Facebook, YouTube and Twitter were not new to me.

I therefore began using whatever skills I had to support Dr Sahib's message and the movement online.

Whether through Twitter hashtags, Facebook posts, sharing my experiences from the Inqilab March, or supporting different programmes and campaigns, I contributed digitally in whatever way I could.

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The Formal Beginning of My Organizational Journey

Around 2015, my contact with local organizational leadership in Karachi began increasing through different activities and interactions.

In particular, I developed a connection with Rao Tayyab Sahib and gradually started participating in organizational activities alongside him.

Some time later, Rao Tayyab Sahib himself included me in the zonal team of Minhaj Youth League Karachi.

This marked the beginning of an entirely new phase of my journey.

What had previously been a personal, intellectual and spiritual connection now began turning into formal organizational service.

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From Social Media to Organizational Responsibilities

One of my earliest significant responsibilities in Minhaj Youth League Karachi was Secretary Social Media.

Across subsequent organizational terms, I served in roles including:

Secretary Social Media → Secretary Information → Deputy General Secretary

During the presidency of Faheem Khan Sahib, I had the opportunity to serve as Deputy General Secretary.

Throughout this organizational journey, I also had the opportunity to work with and learn from Shahid Rajput Sahib and many other senior colleagues and office-bearers.

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Media, Minhaj TV and Service Across Karachi

My organizational journey was not limited to Minhaj Youth League.

I also remained involved in responsibilities connected with Minhaj Media Academy and Minhaj TV Karachi.

At different stages, I worked in media management, electronic-media coverage, programme coverage and publicity-related responsibilities.

This work gave me the opportunity to visit almost every organizational town in Karachi, meet colleagues across different areas and work at multiple organizational levels.

Gradually, my relationships extended beyond Karachi and I developed connections with Minhaj colleagues in different cities across Pakistan.

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Not Just an Organization — A Family

My journey with the movement did not only give me responsibilities. It also gave me sincere and loving people across different cities who gradually became like family.

On one occasion, while travelling towards Kashmir around Eid-ul-Adha, I reached Rawalpindi late on Chand Raat. Transport onward had almost completely stopped.

At that time, Saqib Bhai contacted me, invited me to stay at his home, and I spent the night with him. I also offered Eid prayer in Rawalpindi and spent a beautiful time with him.

Even today, our relationship carries the affection of an elder brother.

On another occasion during collective Itikaf in Lahore, I became unwell. Through my friend Owais Aslam, Shafqat Bhai learned about my condition.

He came to visit me, brought a blanket, brought food and other necessities, and took care of me with remarkable affection.

I often say:

Shafqat Bhai showed me even more "shafqat" than his name itself suggests.

Our bond became even stronger afterwards, and whenever I visit Lahore, meeting him remains personally important to me.

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When This Family Supported Me in a Difficult Time

At one stage in my life, I went through serious financial difficulties.

It was such a personal and uncomfortable situation that I could not openly write that I myself needed financial assistance.

I posted on Facebook in the third person, saying that someone I knew was in serious financial need and asking anyone who could help to contact me privately.

The truth was:

That person was me.

After that post, several friends and colleagues associated with the movement contacted me privately.

I intentionally do not mention many of their names here. They helped me quietly, sincerely and confidentially, and I do not know whether it would be appropriate to identify them publicly without their permission.

They provided me with significant financial support in the form of loans and helped me overcome one of the biggest difficulties of that period of my life.

For me, it was more than a loan.

It was support from my own people at a time when I desperately needed it.

In some cases, repayment took longer than I had originally expected or promised, yet they showed patience, trust and understanding.

Alhamdulillah, I was eventually able to repay every one of those loans in full.

The money was repaid, but the kindness shown to me during that difficult time remains in my heart.

Whether it was Saqib Bhai's hospitality, Shafqat Bhai's care during illness, friends quietly supporting me during financial hardship, or the love shown by countless colleagues across Pakistan, all these experiences represent the same reality for me:

For me, this was no longer merely an organization; it had become a family.

There are countless other names and memories that cannot possibly be contained on one page.

Some relationships never appear on organizational charts or designation lists, yet their place in a person's life can be greater than any position or title.

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An Interesting Memory from Collective Itikaf

During collective Itikaf in Lahore, people would often approach me, greet me warmly and ask how I was doing.

I would respond warmly, but sometimes the reality was:

I did not actually know who they were.

I would assume that they knew me through social media or organizational work, and it did not feel appropriate to ask:

"Who are you?"

On one such occasion, after several people had greeted me, Mirza Junaid Ali Sahib (Nazim, Tehreek Minhaj-ul-Quran Karachi) asked me:

"Who were they?"

I replied:

"I don't know."

It became a humorous moment: people knew me, but I did not necessarily know them personally.

For me, this was never about popularity. The beauty was that through the movement, people across different parts of the country had become familiar and connected even before we had formally met.

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Learning Through Service

From approximately 2015 onwards, Minhaj-ul-Quran and Minhaj Youth League became a practical school of organizational life for me.

I learned less from books and more through people and experience.

I learned through programmes, seniors, town-level colleagues, media responsibilities, travel and practical organizational work.

I made mistakes.

And I learned from those mistakes as well.

Gradually, I came to understand that organizations are not built merely through titles.

Organizations are built through people, relationships, trust, discipline, continuity and service.

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Recognition and Awards from the Movement

During this journey of organizational, media and other responsibilities, my efforts were also recognised by the movement on different occasions.

At different times, I received awards, certificates, recognitions and words of appreciation. I have always viewed them less as personal achievements and more as encouragement for whatever limited contribution I was able to make to the mission.

Their real value for me is not simply that I received an award, but that the people and mission with whom I spent such an important part of my life considered my efforts worthy of appreciation.

Selected Awards & Recognitions

[Details to be added later]

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Stepping Back for a While

Over time, my professional and other responsibilities increased.

From around 2024 onwards, I became less active in organizational activities than I had been before.

Particularly from 2025 through the middle of 2026, my professional commitments became so demanding that I could no longer give the movement as much time as I once did or wished to give.

I had stepped back from active organizational work.

But the connection had not ended.

The love had not ended.

My attachment to the mission had not ended.

Perhaps I did not yet realise that another chapter was about to begin.

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A New Chapter — August 2026

In August 2026, circumstances once again brought me back into active organizational leadership within Minhaj Youth League Karachi.

I was asked to accept the responsibility of President, Minhaj Youth League Karachi.

My initial response was hesitation. I considered the responsibility extremely significant and genuinely did not consider myself deserving of it.

Prior to this, Rao Tayyab Sahib had also spoken to me by phone and encouraged me to step forward and accept a major organizational responsibility.

Later, Shahid Rajput Sahib, Faizan Kaleem Sahib and especially Rana Waheed Shahzad Sahib, Central President of Minhaj Youth League Pakistan, played important roles in encouraging me to return to active leadership and accept the responsibility.

Despite my hesitation, they expressed confidence in me, and eventually I accepted.

Thus, in August 2026, another chapter of my organizational journey began:

President — Minhaj Youth League Karachi

For me, this was not simply another title.

It was another stage in a journey that had once begun with the words:

"I don't understand this man."

There was once a time when I did not even know Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri.

Then Ustad Ji placed a book and two CDs in my hands.

I began listening.

I began reading.

I questioned.

I researched.

Love developed.

I developed a longing to see him.

I reached Lahore.

I saw him for the first time on 9 August 2014.

On 10 August, I switched off my phone, placed it in my bag and raised my hand.

On 14 August, I left Lahore for Islamabad.

I experienced the days of the Inqilab March.

I returned to Karachi and began serving through social media.

Organizational responsibilities followed.

I worked in media.

I travelled across organizational towns in Karachi.

I received love from colleagues across Pakistan.

I stepped back from active work for a period.

And then…

In August 2026, that same journey brought me to the responsibility of President of Minhaj Youth League Karachi.

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Presidency — A New Beginning with Continuity

After assuming the responsibility of President, one of my first priorities was to ensure that forming a new team did not mean discarding the experience and contribution of those who had already served.

My intention was:

Experience should continue with us, continuity should be preserved, and space should be created for new young people.

With this approach, efforts were made to retain all members of the previous team, including experienced colleagues, within the new organizational structure, while also bringing in new, active and capable young members and entrusting them with responsibilities.

The objective was to build a team in which previous experience, present continuity and emerging youth leadership could move forward together.

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18 August 2026 — A New Team, A Shared Journey

On 18 August 2026, a purposeful Get-Together & Dinner was held at Shandaar Shinwari Restaurant, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Karachi, bringing together office-bearers of Minhaj Youth League Karachi, representatives from different towns, former and senior colleagues, and younger members.

The purpose was far more than simply sharing a meal.

It provided an opportunity to recognise the services of the previous team, congratulate colleagues taking on new responsibilities, benefit from the experience and guidance of senior members, connect new young people, and discuss the future organizational direction of Minhaj Youth League Karachi.

The services of Faizan Kaleem Sahib and the entire previous team were acknowledged, while efforts were made to preserve continuity and simultaneously bring new young people forward.

The philosophy behind the process was simple:

Respect the experience of those who served before us.
Strengthen those who are serving today.
And create space today for those who will lead tomorrow.

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The Journey Continues…

Becoming President of Minhaj Youth League Karachi is not the conclusion of this journey.

It is the beginning of another chapter.

In 2014, I did not know anyone in Minhaj-ul-Quran.

Today, I carry the responsibility of serving the youth of the same movement across Karachi.

That thought itself carries a great deal of meaning for me.

Whatever good has come from this journey is by the grace of Allah, the prayers of my parents and teachers, the training of my Quaid, the guidance of seniors and the love of countless colleagues.

Whatever weaknesses, mistakes or shortcomings remain are my own.

I still do not consider this journey complete.

I still consider myself a learner.

Perhaps that is why the story of this page does not end here.

The Journey Continues…

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