The name of Mufti Hanif Qureshi, founder of Shabab-e-Islami and a religious scholar associated with Ahle Sunnat Waljammat, trended prominently on social media, particularly Twitter. This surge in attention followed claims of victory by his supporters in an ongoing digital clash against another prominent religious scholar and YouTube sensation, Muhammad Ali Mirza.
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The rivalry between Mufti Hanif Qureshi and Muhammad Ali Mirza has been unfolding indirectly on YouTube for months, with both challenging each other to an open debate on various issues related to Islamic sects and doctrines.
YouTube has become a battleground for religious scholars, where they exchange video content challenging each other on diverse topics, seeking to attract followers who engage through likes, shares, and comments.
Muhammad Ali Mirza, known for his massive online following, initiated a trend in his videos of challenging his peers to debates. In response to one such challenge, Mufti Hanif Qureshi gathered his followers in Jhelum city, generating hype on digital platforms about an impending debate.
However, the Jhelum district police, led by the district police officer (DPO), intervened, preventing Qureshi from advancing toward Mirza’s academy. The DPO, in a recorded video with Qureshi, stated that the Mirza academy staff had informed the police that there would be no physical debate, and any contest would occur online or through YouTube videos.
In the presence of the DPO, Mufti Qureshi made serious allegations against Muhammad Ali Mirza, claiming victory in the ‘debate’ and accusing Mirza of fleeing. Subsequently, a video was posted on Mufti Hanif Qureshi’s YouTube channel, featuring his arrival at his seminary in Rawalpindi, with rose petals showered and victorious slogans chanted for a debate that never transpired.
This episode echoes a similar incident in 2021 when Mufti Tariq Masood engaged in a potential debate with Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza, which did not materialize despite a two-day wait.
Muhammad Ali Mirza, a qualified engineer, highlights ‘contradictions’ in various Islamic sects, relying on references from Ahadith and the Holy Quran. His academy in Jhelum claims to be independent of external funding.
Both Mufti Hanif Qureshi and Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza have sizable YouTube followings, with Qureshi boasting 185,000 subscribers and 1,700 videos, while Mirza has an impressive 2.58 million subscribers and 2,100 videos. Mufti Hanif Qureshi is associated with ‘Jamia Rizwia Ziaul Uloom’ in Rawalpindi.
This recent digital clash is not the first time these two scholars have engaged in debate, as a prior discussion occurred on a private television news channel among scholars from different sects.
