Chaudhry Rehmat Elahi

Chaudhry Rehmat Elahi was born in Jhelum, Punjab, in 1923. After completing his graduation, he joined the military. Since religious teachings had a profound influence on his intellect and thoughts, and his affiliation with the Islamic Movement in particular added further maturity to his views and closer proximity to faith, he could not continue in this service for long. He ultimately resigned in 1951. He had become a member of Jamaat-e-Islami in 1947.

During the Pakistan Movement, the Jamaat entrusted him with the responsibility at Dar-ul-Islam, Pathankot, India, for the care, service, and safe transit of refugees to Pakistan from the borders of East Punjab. Chaudhry Sahib also rendered invaluable services for the rehabilitation of refugees settling around Lahore after the creation of Pakistan. You are among those quiet, unsung, and active workers whose gaze is focused solely on the pleasure of Allah. Chaudhry Sahib performed prominent services in the vanguard of the people of truth during exceptionally difficult times and eras of trial.

During the 1953 Khatm-e-Nabuwwat Movement, following the arrests of Syed Abul A'la Maududi and Mian Tufail Muhammad, he performed the duties of Acting Qaim (Secretary-General) of Jamaat-e-Islami. He served as the Qaim of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan in 1957, 1965, and 1978. Combining all these tenures, he served as the Qaim of the Jamaat for approximately thirteen years.

In 1979, he was appointed as the Naib Ameer (Vice President) of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, and during this period, he also performed the duties of Acting Ameer on multiple occasions in the absence of the party president. In the 1960s, he played a highly crucial role on behalf of the Jamaat during the election campaign between Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah and Ayub Khan. Chaudhry Rehmat Elahi served as a member of the Parliamentary Board of the Pakistan National Alliance (PNA) in 1977, and was arrested and imprisoned twice during the Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Nizam-e-Mustafa (Movement for the Implementation of the System of the Prophet). He led a Long March in Rawalpindi in his capacity as the Acting General Secretary of the PNA.

When the Pakistan National Alliance (PNA) joined the government in 1978, Chaudhry Sahib was appointed as the Minister for Power and Natural Resources. In a brief period of nine months, the PNA made strenuous efforts to put Pakistan on the path to democracy. The process of Islamization was initiated, which later resulted in the implementation of the Hudood Ordinances, Zakat, the decision to eliminate usury from the economy, the formulation of the educational policy, and the establishment of the Federal Shariat Court, where laws contradictory to the Quran and Sunnah could be challenged. In addition to these, numerous other measures were taken.

In his capacity as the Naib Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami, Chaudhry Rehmat Elahi specifically supervised the labor and peasant wings of Jamaat-e-Islami, the financial sector, and the Islamic Education Society. He was one of the close associates of Maulana Maududi. In 1999, following the resignation of Qazi Hussain Ahmed, you were also elected as the Acting (temporary) Ameer of the Jamaat during a meeting of the Majlis-e-Shura of Jamaat-e-Islami.

He passed away in January 2019, and his funeral prayers were offered at Mansoorah, the central headquarters of Jamaat-e-Islami in Lahore.

Chaudhry Rehmat Elahi traveled abroad multiple times, visiting several European and Middle Eastern countries. In addition to his mother tongue, Punjabi, he possessed proficiency in Urdu and English.