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{{short description|Pakistani spiritual leader}}
{{POV-check|date=December 2009}}{{Infobox revolution biography
{{Unbalanced|date=November 2018}}
|name=Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi <br>حضرت سیدناریاض احمدگوھرشاہی مدظلہ العالی
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}
|lived={{birth date|1941|11|25}}&ndash;{{death date and age|2001|11|25|1941|11|25}}
{{Infobox person
|image=[[Image:S0040.jpg|250px]]
| name = Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi<br>ریاض احمد گوہر شاہی
|caption=Sarkar Gohar Shahi during a gathering in Kotri Sharif
| birth_date = {{birth date|1941|11|25|df=y}}
|alternate name=Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi
| birth_place = [[Dhok Gohar Shah]], [[Rawalpindi]], [[British Raj|British India]] (now [[Pakistan]])
|dateofbirth={{birth date|1941|11|25}}
| disappeared_date = 2001
<!-- Do not add flag icons to place of birth/death, per [[Wikipedia:Don't overuse flags]] -->
| death_date =
|placeofbirth=[[Dhok Gohar Shah]], [[Rawalpindi]], [[British Raj|British India]]
| death_place =
|dateofdeath={{death date and age|2001|11|25|1941|11|25}}
| alma_mater =
|placeofdeath=[[Manchester]], [[England]]
| image = Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi.jpg
|movement=Anjuman Serfaroshan-e-Islam
| caption = Gohar Shahi during an event held in [[Pakistan]]
|organizations=
| other_names =
|religion= [[Islam]]
| movement =
| organization = [[Messiah Foundation International]]
| monuments =
| awards =
| footnotes =
}}
}}

'''Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi''' ([[Urdu]]:'''<big>ریاض احمد گوھر شاہی</big>''') (&lrm;25 November 1941 – 25 November 2001) also known as Sayyedna Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi (Urdu:سیدناریاض احمدگوھرشاہی) was the founder of Anjuman Serfaroshan-e-Islam.<ref name="murder booking"/> Shahi was born in [[Pakistan]], in the village of [[Dhok Gohar Shah]] in the district of [[Rawalpindi]].
'''Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi''' ({{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq|ریاض احمد گوھر شاہی}}}}) (born 25 November 1941) was a spiritual leader and founder of the spiritual groups ''RAGS International'' (now known as [[Messiah Foundation International]])<ref name="jobshire">{{Citation|title=End Of The World 2015: NASA Slams Conspiracy Theorists' Apocalypse Threats, Says No Scientific Basis For Imminent Mass Destruction|date=1 October 2015|url=http://www.jobsnhire.com/articles/28714/20151001/end-world-2015-nasa-slams-conspiracy-theorists-apocalypse-threats-scientific-basis-imminent-mass-destruction.htm|access-date=2 October 2015}}</ref><ref name="Guardian">{{Citation|title=Apocalypse now and again … your choice of dates for the end of the world |newspaper=The Guardian |date=28 September 2015|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/28/apocalypse-now-and-again-your-choice-of-dates-for-the-end-of-the-world|access-date=1 October 2015|last1=Gabbatt |first1=Adam }}</ref><ref name="independent">{{Citation|title=End of the world: The apocalypses that await us if we make it through today|date=7 October 2015|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/end-of-the-world-the-apocalypses-that-await-us-if-we-make-it-through-today-a6685046.html|access-date=7 October 2015}}</ref> and ''Anjuman Serfaroshan-e-Islam''.<ref name="DAWN"/><ref name="Island3">{{Citation| last = Perera| first = Suresh| title = The practice of rituals alone does not initiate the heart with divine love| newspaper = The Island| date = 24 December 2011| url =http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=41850| access-date = 13 July 2013}}</ref><ref name="ForewordMFI">{{cite web| title = Foreword| url = http://www.goharshahi.us/mehdi-foundation-international/| access-date = 13 July 2013}}</ref>

He is the author of a number of [[Urdu]] books on topics relating to spirituality, the most successful among these being ''Deen-e-Ilahi'' "The Religion of God" (2000), which was republished by [[Hay House|Balboa Press, a division of Hay House]] and translated into English and other languages by Messiah Foundation International in 2012.<ref>{{cite web| title = Deen-e-Ilahi by R.A. Gohar Shahi| url = http://www.goharshahi.com/deen_e_elahi/urd_.shtml| access-date = 9 October 2009}}</ref><ref>{{Citation| title= The Religion of God (Divine Love) | url= http://bookstore.balboapress.com/Products/SKU-000528516/The-Religion-of-God-Divine-Love.aspx| access-date = 29 June 2012}}</ref>

RAGS International was renamed to ''Messiah Foundation International'' in 2000.<ref name="ForewordMFI"/> MFI reports that Shahi [[List of messiah claimants|claimed]] to be the [[Mahdi]], [[Messiah]], and [[Kalki|Kalki Avatar]].<ref name="UNHCR">{{Citation|title=Structure and objective of the Mehdi Foundation and the perception of this movement in Pakistan|date=5 December 2008|url=http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/pdfid/49997ae7d.pdf|access-date=9 October 2009}}</ref><ref name="BBCUrdu1">{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/india/story/2007/04/070425_passport_burnt_np.shtml|title=Jail upon burning the Pakistani Passports|publisher=British Broadcasting Cooperation (Urdu)|date=25 April 2007|access-date=25 April 2010}}</ref><ref name="BBCUrdu2">{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/specials/1244_pkpics_wk17_zs/page3.shtml|title=Jail upon burning the Pakistani Passports page 2|publisher=British Broadcasting Cooperation (Urdu)|date=25 April 2007|access-date=25 April 2010}}</ref> Shahi disappeared from public view in 2001. There have been claims that he died in that year or in 2003, but these are unconfirmed.


==Biography==
==Biography==


=== Early life ===
At the age of twenty, when Shahi was the owner of F. Q. Steel Industries, he started to search for [[spiritualism]] amongst the saints and dervishes of the time. Eventually, upon becoming disillusioned with the saints and dervishes he encountered, and being disappointed in not receiving spiritual benevolence, he returned to his work. Gohar Shahi then married and had three children.<ref name="About GS">[http://goharshahi.net/images/about.htm About Gohar Shahi]</ref>
Shahi was born on 25 November 1941 in the village of [[Dhok Gohar Shah]] in the district of [[Rawalpindi]] of [[British India]]. He is a fifth generation descendant of the [[Sufi]] Baba Gohar Ali Shah.


At the age of twenty, when he was the owner of F.Q. Steel Industries, Shahi began to search for [[spirituality]]. Eventually he became disillusioned in this search and returned to work. Shahi then married and had three children.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Religion of God|last=Gohar Shahi|first=Riaz Ahmed|year=2000|publisher=Balboa Press|location=United States|isbn=978-1-45254-908-8|pages=71 |access-date=13 July 2013|url=http://bookstore.balboapress.com/Products/SKU-000528516/the-religion-of-god-divine-love.aspx}}</ref>
According to Shahi, at about the age of thirty four [[Bari Imam]] appeared before him and said: "My son your time has come, you must go to the shrine of [[Sultan Bahu]] to receive the Sacred Inner Dimensions of Spiritual Knowledge." Gohar Shahi then left his work, family and parents and went to [[Shorkot]], where he read the book ''Nurul Huda'' (''Light of Guidance''),<ref name="Books of Sultan Bahu">[http://hazratsultanbahu.com/page/default.htm Books of Sultan Bahu]</ref> written by Sultan Bahu. He then went to [[Sehwan Sharif]] for self-mortification and peace of heart, and spent a period of three years in the mountains of [[Sehwan Sharif]] and the forest of [[Laal Bagh]] in self-purification.<ref name="About GS"/>


In 1975, he went to [[Sehwan]] for self-mortification; he spent a period of three years in the mountains of Sehwan Sharif and the forest of Laal Bagh in self-purification, "for the sake of God's love".<ref>{{cite book|title=The Religion of God|last=Gohar Shahi|first=Riaz Ahmed|year=2000|publisher=Balboa Press|location=United States|isbn=978-1-45254-908-8|pages=xi |access-date=1 July 2012|url=http://bookstore.balboapress.com/Products/SKU-000528516/the-religion-of-god-divine-love.aspx}}</ref>
==Literary Works==
[[Image:RAGS.Gurdawara.jpg|thumb|right|Gohar Shahi delivering speech to [[Sikh]] Community in a [[Sikh Temple]] in [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]], [[Arizona]], [[USA]] in 1997]]
Gohar Shahi authored a number of books and treatises, including one based on Sufi Poetry known as ''Turyaaq-e-Qulb'', meaning "cure for hearts". Works by Gohar Shahi include:
*''Ruhani Safar'' (''Spiritual Journey'')
*''Menara-e-Noor'' (''Minart of Light'')
*''Roshnash'' (''An Induction'')
*''Tuhfa-tul-Majalis'' (''Gift of Congregations'')
*''Deen-e-Illahi'' (''The Religion of God'')


===Career as spiritual leader===
==Sufi Views==
{{Infobox organization
[[Image:Hisham-2.jpg|thumb|left|[[Hisham Kabbani]] sitting below during Gohar Shahi's visit to [[United States|America]] in 1997.]]
| name = [[Messiah Foundation International]]
A number of orthodox theological scholars condemned the teachings of Gohar Shahi and criticized him heavily not just in Pakistan but throughout the world. However, some Sufis, including [[Hisham Kabbani|Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani]], [[Nazim al-Qubrusi]], and [[Muhammad Tahir ul-Qadri|Dr. Tahir-ul-Qadri]] praised Shahi.<ref name="Hisham">[http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2656570065128302013&q=source:012300218563303633200&hl=en Shaikh Hisham's Meeting with GS]</ref>
| image =
Kabbani always used to sit beneath the feet of Gohar Shahi to give him respect and show fervor for him.<ref name="Hisham"/>
| image_border =
Gohar Shahi did not claim to be Imam Mehdi or The Prophet. Despite all the devotion Gohar Shahi had put into spreading the word of God in every religion, many still overlooked it and started to live on lies. Instead of understanding Gohar Shahi's only goal in life, which was to spread the love of God, some{{Who|date=September 2009}} had decided to lay false accusations upon him. If they wanted to do anything for their God then they definitely should, no one would stop them, but for people to try and ruin Gohar Shahi's hard work is an extremely miserable action and if they think they could do any better they should try.
| size =
| caption =
| map =
| msize =
| mcaption =
| motto =
| formation = 1980
| extinction =
| type = Non-profit organisation
| headquarters = [[London]], [[United Kingdom]]
| location =
| membership =
| language = [[Urdu]] & English
| leader_title = Co-Founder
| leader_name = [[Younus AlGohar]]
| key_people =
| num_staff =
| budget =
| website = http://www.goharshahi.us/
}}
{{main|Messiah Foundation International}}


Shahi became popular as a Sufi preacher in [[Pakistan]] during the late 1970s. He formed ''RAGS International'' and ''Anjuman Serfaroshan-e-Islam'' in 1980.<ref name="Zee"/> Of the two organisations, RAGS International is still active as [[Messiah Foundation International]] whereas Anjuman Serfaroshan-e-Islam was reported to have been dissolved and banned in Pakistan in 2011.<ref name="JANG">{{Citation | title = (Translation) Unknown individuals shoot President of ASI and escape? | date = 16 December 2011| url= http://jang.com.pk/jang/dec2011-daily/16-12-2011/cities/hyderabad/index.html | access-date = 16 December 2011}}</ref><ref name="UMMAT">{{Citation | title= (Translation) Hyderabadi Man dies in Feud over Organisation's Funds | date = 16 December 2011 | url= http://ummat.com.pk/2011/12/16/news.php?p=news-71.gif | access-date = 16 December 2011}}</ref><ref name="JANG2">{{Citation | title= (Translation) Man from Hyderabad Buried | date = 17 December 2011 | url= http://jang.com.pk/jang/dec2011-daily/17-12-2011/cities/hyderabad/index.html | access-date = 17 December 2011}}</ref>[[File:Sarkar (32).jpg|thumb|right|Shahi at an event at Imam Bargah-e-Noor-e-Iman Mosque, in [[Karachi]], Pakistan. He is seen here speaking to two religious clerics from different sects within Islam: [[Shia Islam]] and [[Sunni Islam]].]]
==Claims and criticism==
[[Image:RAGS.AramBagh.jpg|thumb|right|Gohar Shahi speaking during International Isme-e-Zaat Allah Conference held in [[Karachi]] on 7 October 1996 organized by International Spiritual Movement Anjuman Serfaroshan-e-Islam]]


The CEO of Messiah Foundation International is [[Younus AlGohar]]. Shahi claimed to have met with [[Jesus Christ]] in 1997.<ref name="GoharJesus" />
Gohar Shahi was in favor of [[divine love]] and considers it most important for an approach to God and no discrimination of [[caste]], [[creed]], [[nation]] or [[religion]] is accepted for Divine Love of God as every human has been gifted with an ability to develop spiritual power to approach to the essence of God.<ref name="Divein Light"> [http://www.geocities.com/athens/acropolis/2717/ Divine Light in the Dark]</ref>


[[Lebanese Americans|Lebanese American]] mystic [[Hisham Kabbani]] has sat at his feet, learned from him, and praised him.<ref name="Hisham2">{{cite web |title=Shaikh Hisham's Meeting with Gohar Shahi |url=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2656570065128302013&q=source:012300218563303633200 |access-date=7 March 2009 |publisher=via Google videos}}</ref> Singers such as [[Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan]] and [[Ghulam Farid Sabri]] have been presented{{According to whom|date=November 2018}} the message of Shahi.{{Citation needed|date=November 2018}} Some singers such as [[Aziz Mian]] and [[Rahat Fateh Ali Khan]] have performed at ''Shahi'' related events.<ref>{{cite book |last=Gohar Shahi |first=Riaz Ahmed |url=http://bookstore.balboapress.com/Products/SKU-000528516/the-religion-of-god-divine-love.aspx |title=The Religion of God |publisher=Balboa Press |year=2000 |isbn=978-1-45254-908-8 |location=United States |pages=78 |access-date=13 July 2013}}</ref><ref name="aziz2">{{cite web |title=Aziz Mian Qawwal in Jashn e Gohar Shahi |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3FhFqGpSQw |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/C3FhFqGpSQw |archive-date=2021-12-21 |access-date=30 October 2010 |publisher=via YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name="Rahat2">{{cite web |title=Rahat Fateh Ali Khan at the 1998 birthday celebrations |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6UimKFBM3g |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/b6UimKFBM3g |archive-date=2021-12-21 |access-date=10 September 2012 |publisher=via YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
Gohar Shahi claimed to have met with [[Jesus]] in [[United States|America]]<ref name="meeting"> [http://www.sarkarriaz.com/?page_id=181 Gohar Shahi's meeting with Jesus]</ref> Shahi's supporters claim that his likeness appeared in the [[moon]], [[sun]], nebula star and the [[black stone]] of [[Makkah]],<ref name="Face of Gohar Shahi appeared on Kaaba">[http://www.ahmadiyya.us/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=120 Face of Gohar Shahi appeared on Kaaba]</ref> and that these alleged images induced greater legal and religious opposition.<ref name="10 held for raising slogans in favour of Gohar Shahi"/>


===Legal persecution and exile===
Opposition towards Gohar Shahi and his followers stemmed from claims made by Shahi and his followers that were strongly opposed by orthodox theologians in Pakistan and abroad.<ref name="moon"/> Shahi was accused of claiming the status of [[prophet]] and [[Imam Mehdi]], but Shahi denied such accusations.<ref name="murder booking"/><ref name="moon"/>
He and many of his followers<ref name="thepersecution">{{cite web|url=http://www.thepersecution.org/ussdcirf/usirf2001.html|title=Int'l Religious Freedom Report – May 2001|publisher=The Persecution.org|date=1 May 2001|access-date=9 March 2010}}</ref> have been convicted under Islamic [[blasphemy]] laws<ref name="moon">{{cite web|url=http://www.dawn.com/weekly/cowas/20020210.htm |title=The Man in the Moon |author=Ardeshir Cowasjee |publisher=[[Dawn (newspaper)|Dawn newspaper]] |date=10 February 2002 |access-date=13 July 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101023234052/http://www.dawn.com/weekly/cowas/20020210.htm |archive-date=23 October 2010 |author-link=Ardeshir Cowasjee }}</ref> by an antiterrorist court in [[Sindh]].<ref name="hrrpt">{{cite web|url=https://2001-2009.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2000/sa/710.htm| title=Country Reports on Human Rights Practices by United States of America|publisher=[[U.S. Department of State]]|date=23 February 2003|access-date=7 March 2010}}</ref> After he fled to [[England]], Shahi was convicted ''[[trial in absentia|in absentia]]'',<ref name="thepersecution"/><ref name="hrrpt"/> receiving sentences that totaled approximately 59 years.<ref name="moon"/>


===Disappearance===
[[Image:RAGS.MasjidTurk.jpg|thumb|left|Gohar Shahi in Brokelane ([[New York]])'s Jamia Mosque Turk in 1997]]
Shahi was reported to have disappeared in 2001, in [[London]]; afterwards, sightings of him were reported around the world of people claiming to have met and received spiritual guidance from him.<ref name="SL2012">{{cite web|url=http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2012/01/01/spreading-divine-love-messiah-foundation-international/|title=Spreading Divine Love Messiah Foundation International|publisher=Sunday Leader|date=1 January 2012|access-date=1 January 2012}}</ref>


In February 2002, prior to any decision on appeals filed with the [[High Court of Sindh]], [[Ardeshir Cowasjee]] claimed in an article he wrote for the Pakistani newspaper ''[[Dawn (newspaper)|Dawn]]'', that unnamed people who identified themselves to him as office-bearers of the All-Faith Spiritual Movement told him that Gohar Shahi died abroad, but this report was unconfirmed.<ref name=moon/>
Shahi faced strong opposition from different religious leaders and orthodox theological scholars,<ref name="moon"/> and his teachings have been condemned by Muslim religious leaders and the Pakistani government.<ref name="Daily Times">[http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_8-7-2004_pg7_43 Pakistan's Supreme Court upholds ban on a Shahi disciple's book]</ref>


There have been rumours of him dying, with some sources reporting that he died in 2001 and others saying he died in 2003. According to the ''Pakistani Press Foundation'' Shahi died in 2001.<ref name="UNHCR"/> An article from 2006 in the ''[[Sunday Telegraph]]'' reports that Shahi died in 2003,<ref name="UNHCR"/> and a 2009 article in ''[[Your Local Guardian]]'' also says that he was reported to have died in 2003.<ref name="YLG1"/> However, none of these reports have been confirmed, as there is no body.
Many attempts were made on Shahi's life, including a [[petrol bomb]] attack, thrown into his [[Manchester]] residence,<ref name="Attempts"> [http://www.geocities.com/athens/acropolis/2717/page3.html Attempts made on Gohar Shahi]</ref> and an attack with a [[hand grenade]] during the discourse at his home in [[Kotri]], [[Pakistan]].<ref name="Attempts"/> A high price tag was put on his head in [[Pakistan]].<ref name="Attempts"/>


On the other hand, the Indian news agency PTI reported in 2008 that Shahi was based in the United Kingdom after being convicted of blasphemy by the High Court of Sindh.<ref name="UNHCR"/> This view is supported by the ''Indian Express'' which reported in 2008 that Shahi had fled to the United Kingdom and was presently based there.<ref name="IndianExpress">{{Citation|title=HC stays deportation of 67 Pakistani nationals|newspaper=The Indian Express|location=New Delhi|date=19 November 2008|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/hc-stays-deportation-of-67-pakistani-nationa/387834/|access-date=9 October 2009}}</ref> ''Zee News'' also supported this claim.<ref name="Zee">{{Cite news|title=Delhi HC seeks response from Centre on Pakistan nationals' plea|newspaper=Zee News|author=Bureau Report|location=New Delhi|date=17 December 2008|url=http://www.zeenews.com/states/2008-12-17/491805news.html|access-date=7 May 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130217024858/http://www.zeenews.com/states/2008-12-17/491805news.html|archive-date=17 February 2013}}</ref> The Hindustan Times has reported that he is "serving a life term".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/67-Pakistanis-in-Tihar-who-don-t-want-to-return-home/Article1-354375.aspx|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130125063742/http://www.hindustantimes.com/67-Pakistanis-in-Tihar-who-don-t-want-to-return-home/Article1-354375.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 January 2013|title=67 Pakistanis in Tihar who don't want to return home|work=Hindustan Times|date=27 November 2008|author=Abhishek Sharan|access-date=25 April 2010}}</ref> The ''Sunday Leader'' in Sri Lanka stated that Shahi disappeared in 2001 and sightings of him were thereafter reported around the world.<ref name="SL2012"/>
[[Image:RAGS.MochiDurwaza.jpg|thumb|right|Gohar Shahi addressing to International Ism-e-Azam Conference, Mochi Durwaza [[Lahore]] on 11 April 1996 organized by International Spiritual Movement Anjuman Serfaroshan-e-Islam]]


Of the two factions of Shahi's followers, the ''Anjuman Serfaroshan-e-Islam'' had asserted that Shahi died, and built a tomb for him at the Markazi Aastana in [[Kotri]], where devotees performed [[pilgrimage]].<ref name="moon"/> The MFI, in contrast, declares that he merely disappeared.<ref name="YLG1">{{cite news|url=http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/local/topstories/4645892.Croydon_religious_leader_faces_life_in_Pakistani_jail_for_his_beliefs|title=Croydon religious leader faces life in Pakistani jail for his beliefs|work=Your Local Guardian|date=30 September 2009|access-date=6 March 2010|first=Kirsty|last=Whalley}}</ref>
Shahi's books were banned by the Government of [[Pakistan]],<ref name="Daily Times"/> public meetings are not allowed to his followers<ref name="10 held for raising slogans in favour of Gohar Shahi">[http://www.dawn.com/2002/06/26/nat33.htm 10 held for raising slogans in favour of Gohar Shahi]</ref> and no press coverage is allowed to either Gohar Shahi or to his followers due to charges of blasphemy law violations. Several cases were filed against Gohar Shahi and his followers.<ref name="List of blasphemy cases against Gohar Shahi and his followers">[http://www.claasfamily.org/bcl.htm List of blasphemy cases against Gohar Shahi and his followers]</ref>


Shahi's family, including his wife, five sons and a daughter, still resides in Kotri.
Gohar Shahi was booked in 1997 on alleged charges of [[murder]]ing a woman who had come to him for spiritual treatment;<ref name="murder booking">[http://www.karachipage.com/news/nov97/111897.txt Gohar Shahi Chief of ASI]</ref> Gohar Shahi, and many of his followers,<ref name="thepersecution"/> were later convicted under Islamic [[blasphemy]] laws<ref name="moon">[http://www.dawn.com/weekly/cowas/20020210.htm "The Man in the Moon"] by [[Ardeshir Cowasjee]]</ref><ref name="hrrpt">[http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2000/sa/710.htm Country Reports on Human Rights Practices by United States of America]</ref> by an antiterrorist court in [[Sindh]].<ref>[http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2000/sa/710.htm U.S. State Department Religious Freedom Report 2000]</ref> Gohar Shahi was convicted [[in absentia]]<ref name="hrrpt"/>&mdash;as he had previously fled to [[England]]<ref name="thepersecution">[http://www.thepersecution.org/ussdcirf/usirf2001.html Int’l Religious Freedom Report - May, 2001]</ref>&mdash;resulting in sentences that totaled approximately 59 years.<ref name="moon"/> Gohar Shahi died abroad, prior to any decision on appeals filed with the [[High Court of Sindh]].<ref name="moon"/>


== Claims and criticism ==
==Death==
[[File:India Protest (10).jpg|thumb|Pakistani followers of Shahi burning passports during a protest in India during April, 2007.]]
[[Image:Jussa-Ji.gif|thumb|The [[Darbar]]-e-Gohar Shahi ([[Tomb]]) in [[Kotri|Kotri Sharif]]]]
The teachings of Gohar Shahi have been a source of controversy. Many [[Sunni Islam|mainstream Muslim]] [[Ulema|scholars]] have condemned his teachings as blasphemy.<ref name="Daily Times"/>
[[Image:RAGS.Newyork.jpg|thumb|left|Gohar Shahi addressing to Christian Community in [[New York]], [[USA]] on 2 October 1999.]]
Gohar Shahi departed on 25 November 2001, in [[Manchester]], [[UK]], of [[pneumonia]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2008}} Shahi's body was brought back to [[Pakistan]] from [[England]] and buried in Markazi Aastana at [[Kotri]],<ref name="moon"/> where the International Secretariat of Anjuman Serfaroshan-e-Islam is located. His devotees perform pilgrimage to his [[mausoleum]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2008}} The term for the demise of Gohar Shahi is used as "[[occultation]]".{{Citation needed|date=May 2008}} Gohar Shahi's family still resides in Kotri, including his widow, five sons and a daughter.{{Citation needed|date=May 2008}}


Claims made by Shahi and his followers have been strongly opposed by orthodox Islamic theologians in [[Pakistan]] and abroad.<ref name="moon"/> Shahi has been accused of claiming the status of a [[prophet]].<ref name="DAWN"/><ref name="moon"/> His teachings have been condemned by Muslim religious leaders and the Pakistani government.<ref name="Daily Times">{{cite web|url=http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_8-7-2004_pg7_43|title=Pakistan's Supreme Court upholds ban on a Shahi disciple's book|publisher=[[Daily Times (Pakistan)|The Daily Times]]|date=8 July 2004|access-date=13 July 2013}}</ref><ref name="AsiaToday">{{Citation | newspaper = Asia Today | title = Chai with...His Holiness Younus AlGohar of Messiah Foundation International | date = September 2014 | url = https://asiatodayaz.com/newspapers/2014/October_2014.pdf | access-date = 7 October 2014 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141010125013/https://asiatodayaz.com/newspapers/2014/October_2014.pdf | archive-date = 10 October 2014 }}</ref>
==References==
{{sisterlinks|Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi|s=Author:Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi}}
{{Reflist|2}}


Shahi also predicts that the world would end in the year 2026 due to a comet heading towards earth.<ref name="jobshire"/><ref name="Guardian"/><ref name="independent"/> He claims the comet will be the cause of "total destruction" though mentions that "in order to intimidate [mankind]… God plans destruction on a small scale".<ref>{{cite book|title=The Religion of God|last=Gohar Shahi|first=Riaz Ahmed|year=2000|publisher=Balboa Press|location=United States|isbn=978-1-45254-908-8|pages=36 |access-date=13 July 2013|url=http://bookstore.balboapress.com/Products/SKU-000528516/the-religion-of-god-divine-love.aspx}}</ref>
{{Sufism}}

{{IslamismSA}}
Many attempts were made on the lives of Shahi and [[Younus AlGohar]] including a [[petrol bomb]] thrown into AlGohar's residence in [[Manchester]], where Shahi stayed when he toured the [[United Kingdom]].<ref>{{cite book|title=The Religion of God|last=Gohar Shahi|first=Riaz Ahmed|year=2000|publisher=Balboa Press|location=United States|isbn=978-1-45254-908-8|pages=xi |access-date=13 July 2013|url=http://bookstore.balboapress.com/Products/SKU-000528516/the-religion-of-god-divine-love.aspx}}</ref><ref name="Attempts">{{cite web|url=http://www.geocities.com/athens/acropolis/2717/page3.html|title=Who is Holiness|publisher=via Yahoo Geocities|access-date=9 March 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011123051444/http://www.geocities.com/athens/acropolis/2717/page3.html|archive-date=23 November 2001}}</ref> A man attempted to attack him with a [[hand grenade]] during a discourse at his home in [[Kotri]], [[Pakistan]].<ref name="Attempts"/> A bounty was put on his head in Pakistan.<ref name="Attempts"/>

Shahi's books have been banned by the government of Pakistan,<ref name="Daily Times"/> and his followers are not allowed to meet in public.<ref name="10 held for raising slogans in favour of Gohar Shahi">{{cite web|url=http://www.dawn.com/2002/06/26/nat33.htm|title=10 held for raising slogans in favour of Gohar Shahi|work=Dawn|location=Pakistan|date=26 June 2002|access-date=7 March 2010}}</ref>

Gohar Shahi claimed to have met with [[Jesus]] in [[United States|America]].<ref name=GoharJesus>{{cite web|title=Return of Lord Jesus: Lord Jesus meets Lord Gohar Shahi in America|url=http://www.goharshahi.us/index.php?/about/meeting-with-jesus/|access-date=1 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130522005656/http://www.goharshahi.us/index.php?%2Fabout%2Fmeeting-with-jesus%2F|archive-date=22 May 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> Shahi's supporters claim that his face became prominent on the Moon, Sun, nebula star and the [[Black Stone|Black Stone in Mecca]],<ref name="hrrpt"/> and that these appearances are signs from God that Gohar Shahi is the awaited [[Imam Mehdi|Imam Mahdi]], [[Messiah]], and [[Kalki|Kalki Avatar]].

The alleged images induced greater legal and religious opposition.<ref name="10 held for raising slogans in favour of Gohar Shahi"/> Shahi has also supported this claim, saying that God had revealed the images of Shahi on the [[Moon]] and various locations, for which Shahi himself was not responsible, and if questions should be raised, they should be raised to God.<ref name="GSInterview"/> Messiah Foundation International asserts the alleged images to be signs from God, pointing to Shahi being the awaited [[Mahdi]]; they quote religious texts<ref name="SI">{{Citation|title= 'We are spiritually connected to the Awaited Ones'-Messiah Foundation Intl|place = Colombo, Sri Lanka|pages=4|year=2010}}</ref> as well as sayings from the likes of [[Nostradamus]],<ref name="manonmoon">{{Cite web| title = The Man on the Moon that Nostradamus Prophesized| url = http://www.themanonthemoon.com/| access-date=18 March 2010}}</ref> and [[Ja'far al-Sadiq]] to support it.

Journalists in [[Pakistan]] asked Shahi,
<blockquote>"Many believe that you are the Mahdi, and God has revealed signs unto them which say that you are the Mahdi, but you do not officially announce that you are the Mahdi. Why?" Shahi gestured towards himself and answered, "Does Imam Mahdi not know the law of Pakistan? He knows that the law of Pakistan declares that 'whosoever claims to be the Mahdi, put him in jail'. I have given the signs of his [Mahdi's] characteristics, which the Mahdi knows and none other. Now, it is up to people to recognise him and believe him".<ref name="GSInterview">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1OFtIKneQI |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/r1OFtIKneQI |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=Gohar Shahi interview with Scholars|publisher=via YouTube|access-date=13 March 2010}}{{cbignore}}</ref></blockquote>

On 18 November 1997, after appearing in court before Justice Rasheed A. Razvi of Sindh High Court Hyderabad Circuit, Shahi said, "The only justification to be Hazrat Imam Mahdi is the mark on [one's] back which can prove his existence".<ref name="DAWN">{{cite news| title=Gohar Shahi, chief of Anjuman-e-Sarferoshan-e-Islam|newspaper=Karachi News|date=18 November 1997|agency=DAWN|location=Karachi}}</ref>

Of the groups following Shahi, Messiah Foundation International claims that Shahi is the awaited Mahdi, Messiah, and Kalki Avatar while ''Anjuman Serfaroshan-e-Islam'' did not. According to MFI's website, Shahi is the Awaited Messiah, but they deny the notion that Shahi is another form of Jesus and claim that Jesus has also returned to support the Mahdi.<ref>{{cite web| title = About Imam Mehdi| url = http://www.goharshahi.us/about/ | access-date = 13 July 2013}}</ref>

== Bibliography ==
Gohar Shahi authored a number of books, including one based on Sufi poetry known as ''Taryāq-e-Qalb'' which translates to the "'Cure of Hearts'". One of his most prominent books is ''Deen-e-Ilahi (The Religion of God)'', which is banned in Pakistan.<ref name="Daily Times"/><ref name=PPF/>

Works by Gohar Shahi include:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Title !! Urdu !! Translation !! Date !!Content
|-
| ''Taryāq-e-Qalb'' || {{Nastaliq|تریاقِ قلب}} || The Cure of Hearts ||1976|| Sufi poetry
|-
| ''Menāra-e-Noor'' || {{Nastaliq|مینارہِ نور}} || The Minaret of Light ||1980|| mysticism, spiritualism
|-
| ''Roshnās'' || {{Nastaliq|روشناس}} || The Induction ||1982|| mysticism, spiritualism
|-
| ''Rouhani Safar'' || {{Nastaliq|روحانی سفر}} || Spiritual Journey ||1986|| autobiography
|-
| ''Tohfa-tul Majālis'' || '''تحفةُ المجالس''' || The Gift of Congregations ||1988|| mysticism, spiritualism
|-
| ''Deen-e-Ilāhi'' || '''دینِ الٰہی''' || The Religion of God<ref name="Deen_e_illahi_english">{{cite web| last = Staff | title = The Religion of God – Divine Love | publisher = Balboa Press| url = http://www.thereligionofgod.com/ | access-date = 29 June 2012}} Page directing to e-book, version for [[Apple Books|iBooks]], softcover and hardcover version of the book.</ref> ||2000|| mysticism, spiritualism
|}

On 17 May 2012, Messiah Foundation International republished ''The Religion of God'' with [[Balboa Press]].<ref>{{Citation | title= The Religion of God (Divine Love) | url= http://bookstore.balboapress.com/Products/SKU-000528516/The-Religion-of-God-Divine-Love.aspx | access-date = 29 June 2012}}</ref> As of 1 June 2012, it was #5 on the publisher's Best Sellers' List.<ref>{{Citation|title=Balboa Press Best Sellers |url=http://bookstore.balboapress.com/Products/CategoryCenter/BABEST/Best-Sellers.aspx |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120701124154/http://bookstore.balboapress.com/Products/CategoryCenter/BABEST/Best-Sellers.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=1 July 2012 |access-date=1 July 2012 }}
</ref>

Messiah Foundation International considers Shahi to be the author of the "Goharian Philosophy of Divine Love", a set of principles upon which the organisation is founded.<ref name ="ForewordMFI"/> Shahi has also authored a monthly magazine, ''Hatif-e-Mahdi'', which is banned in Pakistan for allegedly containing material offensive to the religious feelings of Muslims there.<ref name=PPF>{{Citation|title=Banned magazines to be seized |newspaper=Pakistan Press Foundation |location=Karachi |date=20 August 2005 |url=http://www.pakistanpressfoundation.org/usermediafilesdetails.asp?uid=6008 |access-date=16 July 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727162312/http://www.pakistanpressfoundation.org/usermediafilesdetails.asp?uid=6008 |archive-date=27 July 2011 }}</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of people who disappeared mysteriously: post-1970|List of people who disappeared]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{sisterlinks|Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi|s=Author:Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi}}
*[http://www.goharshahi.com Shahi's representative site since 2000: Messiah Foundation International]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AJW8GxJtXI Jesus meets Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi.]
{{Islamic philosophy}}
{{Islamic philosophy}}


{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gohar Shahi, Riaz Ahmed}}
[[Category:Islamic studies scholars]]
[[Category:Muslim philosophers]]
[[Category:Sufi religious leaders]]
[[Category:Sunni Sufis]]
[[Category:Sufi saints]]
[[Category:Sufi writers]]
[[Category:Muslim reformers]]
[[Category:Sunni Muslim scholars of Islam]]
[[Category:Muslim scholars]]
[[Category:Sufi poets]]
[[Category:Qadri Al-Muntahi]]
[[Category:Sufi orders]]
[[Category:Pakistani Sufis]]
[[Category:Scholars]]
[[Category:Sunni Muslim scholars]]
[[Category:Sufi mystics]]
[[Category:Muslim scholars of Islam]]
[[Category:Pakistani scholars]]
[[Category:Muslim writers]]
[[Category:Pakistani writers]]
[[Category:Universal Sufism]]
[[Category:1941 births]]
[[Category:2001 deaths]]
[[Category:Gohar Shahi]]
[[Category:Pakistani people]]
[[Category:Pakistani Sunni Muslims]]


{{DEFAULTSORT:Shahi, Riaz Ahmed Gohar}}
[[ar:رياض احمد جوهر شاهي]]
[[Category:Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi| ]]
[[bg:Риаз Ахмед Гохар Шахи]]
[[Category:1941 births]]
[[ca:Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi]]
[[da:Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi]]
[[Category:2000s missing person cases]]
[[Category:Missing people]]
[[de:Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi]]
[[Category:Missing person cases in England]]
[[es:Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi]]
[[Category:Founders of new religious movements]]
[[fa:ریاض احمد گوهر شاهی]]
[[Category:Pakistani Sufi religious leaders]]
[[fr:Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi]]
[[Category:Pakistani theologians]]
[[hi:रियाद अहमद गौहर शाही]]
[[Category:Possibly living people]]
[[id:Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi]]
[[Category:Self-declared messiahs]]
[[it:Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi]]
[[Category:Self-declared mahdi]]
[[lv:Riāzs Ahmeds Gohars Šāhī]]
[[lt:Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi]]
[[nn:Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi]]
[[pl:Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi]]
[[pt:Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi]]
[[ro:Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi]]
[[ru:Риаз Ахмед Гоар Шахи]]
[[simple:Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi]]
[[sd:ریاض احمد گوھر شاهي]]
[[fi:Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi]]
[[sv:Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi]]
[[uk:Ріаз Ахмед Гоар Шахі]]
[[ur:ریاض احمد گوھر شاہی]]
[[vi:Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi]]
[[zh:里亞茲·艾哈邁德·喬哈爾·夏希]]

Latest revision as of 22:30, 12 December 2024

Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi
ریاض احمد گوہر شاہی
Gohar Shahi during an event held in Pakistan
Born(1941-11-25)25 November 1941
Dhok Gohar Shah, Rawalpindi, British India (now Pakistan)
Disappeared2001
OrganizationMessiah Foundation International

Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi (Urdu: ریاض احمد گوھر شاہی) (born 25 November 1941) was a spiritual leader and founder of the spiritual groups RAGS International (now known as Messiah Foundation International)[1][2][3] and Anjuman Serfaroshan-e-Islam.[4][5][6]

He is the author of a number of Urdu books on topics relating to spirituality, the most successful among these being Deen-e-Ilahi "The Religion of God" (2000), which was republished by Balboa Press, a division of Hay House and translated into English and other languages by Messiah Foundation International in 2012.[7][8]

RAGS International was renamed to Messiah Foundation International in 2000.[6] MFI reports that Shahi claimed to be the Mahdi, Messiah, and Kalki Avatar.[9][10][11] Shahi disappeared from public view in 2001. There have been claims that he died in that year or in 2003, but these are unconfirmed.

Biography

[edit]

Early life

[edit]

Shahi was born on 25 November 1941 in the village of Dhok Gohar Shah in the district of Rawalpindi of British India. He is a fifth generation descendant of the Sufi Baba Gohar Ali Shah.

At the age of twenty, when he was the owner of F.Q. Steel Industries, Shahi began to search for spirituality. Eventually he became disillusioned in this search and returned to work. Shahi then married and had three children.[12]

In 1975, he went to Sehwan for self-mortification; he spent a period of three years in the mountains of Sehwan Sharif and the forest of Laal Bagh in self-purification, "for the sake of God's love".[13]

Career as spiritual leader

[edit]
Messiah Foundation International
Formation1980
TypeNon-profit organisation
HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
Official language
Urdu & English
Co-Founder
Younus AlGohar
Websitehttp://www.goharshahi.us/
Main article: Messiah Foundation International

Shahi became popular as a Sufi preacher in Pakistan during the late 1970s. He formed RAGS International and Anjuman Serfaroshan-e-Islam in 1980.[14] Of the two organisations, RAGS International is still active as Messiah Foundation International whereas Anjuman Serfaroshan-e-Islam was reported to have been dissolved and banned in Pakistan in 2011.[15][16][17]

Shahi at an event at Imam Bargah-e-Noor-e-Iman Mosque, in Karachi, Pakistan. He is seen here speaking to two religious clerics from different sects within Islam: Shia Islam and Sunni Islam.

The CEO of Messiah Foundation International is Younus AlGohar. Shahi claimed to have met with Jesus Christ in 1997.[18]

Lebanese American mystic Hisham Kabbani has sat at his feet, learned from him, and praised him.[19] Singers such as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Ghulam Farid Sabri have been presented[according to whom?] the message of Shahi.[citation needed] Some singers such as Aziz Mian and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan have performed at Shahi related events.[20][21][22]

[edit]

He and many of his followers[23] have been convicted under Islamic blasphemy laws[24] by an antiterrorist court in Sindh.[25] After he fled to England, Shahi was convicted in absentia,[23][25] receiving sentences that totaled approximately 59 years.[24]

Disappearance

[edit]

Shahi was reported to have disappeared in 2001, in London; afterwards, sightings of him were reported around the world of people claiming to have met and received spiritual guidance from him.[26]

In February 2002, prior to any decision on appeals filed with the High Court of Sindh, Ardeshir Cowasjee claimed in an article he wrote for the Pakistani newspaper Dawn, that unnamed people who identified themselves to him as office-bearers of the All-Faith Spiritual Movement told him that Gohar Shahi died abroad, but this report was unconfirmed.[24]

There have been rumours of him dying, with some sources reporting that he died in 2001 and others saying he died in 2003. According to the Pakistani Press Foundation Shahi died in 2001.[9] An article from 2006 in the Sunday Telegraph reports that Shahi died in 2003,[9] and a 2009 article in Your Local Guardian also says that he was reported to have died in 2003.[27] However, none of these reports have been confirmed, as there is no body.

On the other hand, the Indian news agency PTI reported in 2008 that Shahi was based in the United Kingdom after being convicted of blasphemy by the High Court of Sindh.[9] This view is supported by the Indian Express which reported in 2008 that Shahi had fled to the United Kingdom and was presently based there.[28] Zee News also supported this claim.[14] The Hindustan Times has reported that he is "serving a life term".[29] The Sunday Leader in Sri Lanka stated that Shahi disappeared in 2001 and sightings of him were thereafter reported around the world.[26]

Of the two factions of Shahi's followers, the Anjuman Serfaroshan-e-Islam had asserted that Shahi died, and built a tomb for him at the Markazi Aastana in Kotri, where devotees performed pilgrimage.[24] The MFI, in contrast, declares that he merely disappeared.[27]

Shahi's family, including his wife, five sons and a daughter, still resides in Kotri.

Claims and criticism

[edit]
Pakistani followers of Shahi burning passports during a protest in India during April, 2007.

The teachings of Gohar Shahi have been a source of controversy. Many mainstream Muslim scholars have condemned his teachings as blasphemy.[30]

Claims made by Shahi and his followers have been strongly opposed by orthodox Islamic theologians in Pakistan and abroad.[24] Shahi has been accused of claiming the status of a prophet.[4][24] His teachings have been condemned by Muslim religious leaders and the Pakistani government.[30][31]

Shahi also predicts that the world would end in the year 2026 due to a comet heading towards earth.[1][2][3] He claims the comet will be the cause of "total destruction" though mentions that "in order to intimidate [mankind]… God plans destruction on a small scale".[32]

Many attempts were made on the lives of Shahi and Younus AlGohar including a petrol bomb thrown into AlGohar's residence in Manchester, where Shahi stayed when he toured the United Kingdom.[33][34] A man attempted to attack him with a hand grenade during a discourse at his home in Kotri, Pakistan.[34] A bounty was put on his head in Pakistan.[34]

Shahi's books have been banned by the government of Pakistan,[30] and his followers are not allowed to meet in public.[35]

Gohar Shahi claimed to have met with Jesus in America.[18] Shahi's supporters claim that his face became prominent on the Moon, Sun, nebula star and the Black Stone in Mecca,[25] and that these appearances are signs from God that Gohar Shahi is the awaited Imam Mahdi, Messiah, and Kalki Avatar.

The alleged images induced greater legal and religious opposition.[35] Shahi has also supported this claim, saying that God had revealed the images of Shahi on the Moon and various locations, for which Shahi himself was not responsible, and if questions should be raised, they should be raised to God.[36] Messiah Foundation International asserts the alleged images to be signs from God, pointing to Shahi being the awaited Mahdi; they quote religious texts[37] as well as sayings from the likes of Nostradamus,[38] and Ja'far al-Sadiq to support it.

Journalists in Pakistan asked Shahi,

"Many believe that you are the Mahdi, and God has revealed signs unto them which say that you are the Mahdi, but you do not officially announce that you are the Mahdi. Why?" Shahi gestured towards himself and answered, "Does Imam Mahdi not know the law of Pakistan? He knows that the law of Pakistan declares that 'whosoever claims to be the Mahdi, put him in jail'. I have given the signs of his [Mahdi's] characteristics, which the Mahdi knows and none other. Now, it is up to people to recognise him and believe him".[36]

On 18 November 1997, after appearing in court before Justice Rasheed A. Razvi of Sindh High Court Hyderabad Circuit, Shahi said, "The only justification to be Hazrat Imam Mahdi is the mark on [one's] back which can prove his existence".[4]

Of the groups following Shahi, Messiah Foundation International claims that Shahi is the awaited Mahdi, Messiah, and Kalki Avatar while Anjuman Serfaroshan-e-Islam did not. According to MFI's website, Shahi is the Awaited Messiah, but they deny the notion that Shahi is another form of Jesus and claim that Jesus has also returned to support the Mahdi.[39]

Bibliography

[edit]

Gohar Shahi authored a number of books, including one based on Sufi poetry known as Taryāq-e-Qalb which translates to the "'Cure of Hearts'". One of his most prominent books is Deen-e-Ilahi (The Religion of God), which is banned in Pakistan.[30][40]

Works by Gohar Shahi include:

Title Urdu Translation Date Content
Taryāq-e-Qalb تریاقِ قلب The Cure of Hearts 1976 Sufi poetry
Menāra-e-Noor مینارہِ نور The Minaret of Light 1980 mysticism, spiritualism
Roshnās روشناس The Induction 1982 mysticism, spiritualism
Rouhani Safar روحانی سفر Spiritual Journey 1986 autobiography
Tohfa-tul Majālis تحفةُ المجالس The Gift of Congregations 1988 mysticism, spiritualism
Deen-e-Ilāhi دینِ الٰہی The Religion of God[41] 2000 mysticism, spiritualism

On 17 May 2012, Messiah Foundation International republished The Religion of God with Balboa Press.[42] As of 1 June 2012, it was #5 on the publisher's Best Sellers' List.[43]

Messiah Foundation International considers Shahi to be the author of the "Goharian Philosophy of Divine Love", a set of principles upon which the organisation is founded.[6] Shahi has also authored a monthly magazine, Hatif-e-Mahdi, which is banned in Pakistan for allegedly containing material offensive to the religious feelings of Muslims there.[40]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b End Of The World 2015: NASA Slams Conspiracy Theorists' Apocalypse Threats, Says No Scientific Basis For Imminent Mass Destruction, 1 October 2015, retrieved 2 October 2015
  2. ^ a b Gabbatt, Adam (28 September 2015), "Apocalypse now and again … your choice of dates for the end of the world", The Guardian, retrieved 1 October 2015
  3. ^ a b End of the world: The apocalypses that await us if we make it through today, 7 October 2015, retrieved 7 October 2015
  4. ^ a b c "Gohar Shahi, chief of Anjuman-e-Sarferoshan-e-Islam". Karachi News. Karachi. DAWN. 18 November 1997.
  5. ^ Perera, Suresh (24 December 2011), "The practice of rituals alone does not initiate the heart with divine love", The Island, retrieved 13 July 2013
  6. ^ a b c "Foreword". Retrieved 13 July 2013.
  7. ^ "Deen-e-Ilahi by R.A. Gohar Shahi". Retrieved 9 October 2009.
  8. ^ The Religion of God (Divine Love), retrieved 29 June 2012
  9. ^ a b c d Structure and objective of the Mehdi Foundation and the perception of this movement in Pakistan (PDF), 5 December 2008, retrieved 9 October 2009
  10. ^ "Jail upon burning the Pakistani Passports". British Broadcasting Cooperation (Urdu). 25 April 2007. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
  11. ^ "Jail upon burning the Pakistani Passports page 2". British Broadcasting Cooperation (Urdu). 25 April 2007. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
  12. ^ Gohar Shahi, Riaz Ahmed (2000). The Religion of God. United States: Balboa Press. p. 71. ISBN 978-1-45254-908-8. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
  13. ^ Gohar Shahi, Riaz Ahmed (2000). The Religion of God. United States: Balboa Press. pp. xi. ISBN 978-1-45254-908-8. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
  14. ^ a b Bureau Report (17 December 2008). "Delhi HC seeks response from Centre on Pakistan nationals' plea". Zee News. New Delhi. Archived from the original on 17 February 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  15. ^ (Translation) Unknown individuals shoot President of ASI and escape?, 16 December 2011, retrieved 16 December 2011
  16. ^ (Translation) Hyderabadi Man dies in Feud over Organisation's Funds, 16 December 2011, retrieved 16 December 2011
  17. ^ (Translation) Man from Hyderabad Buried, 17 December 2011, retrieved 17 December 2011
  18. ^ a b "Return of Lord Jesus: Lord Jesus meets Lord Gohar Shahi in America". Archived from the original on 22 May 2013. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
  19. ^ "Shaikh Hisham's Meeting with Gohar Shahi". via Google videos. Retrieved 7 March 2009.
  20. ^ Gohar Shahi, Riaz Ahmed (2000). The Religion of God. United States: Balboa Press. p. 78. ISBN 978-1-45254-908-8. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
  21. ^ "Aziz Mian Qawwal in Jashn e Gohar Shahi". via YouTube. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
  22. ^ "Rahat Fateh Ali Khan at the 1998 birthday celebrations". via YouTube. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
  23. ^ a b "Int'l Religious Freedom Report – May 2001". The Persecution.org. 1 May 2001. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
  24. ^ a b c d e f Ardeshir Cowasjee (10 February 2002). "The Man in the Moon". Dawn newspaper. Archived from the original on 23 October 2010. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
  25. ^ a b c "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices by United States of America". U.S. Department of State. 23 February 2003. Retrieved 7 March 2010.
  26. ^ a b "Spreading Divine Love Messiah Foundation International". Sunday Leader. 1 January 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  27. ^ a b Whalley, Kirsty (30 September 2009). "Croydon religious leader faces life in Pakistani jail for his beliefs". Your Local Guardian. Retrieved 6 March 2010.
  28. ^ "HC stays deportation of 67 Pakistani nationals", The Indian Express, New Delhi, 19 November 2008, retrieved 9 October 2009
  29. ^ Abhishek Sharan (27 November 2008). "67 Pakistanis in Tihar who don't want to return home". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
  30. ^ a b c d "Pakistan's Supreme Court upholds ban on a Shahi disciple's book". The Daily Times. 8 July 2004. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
  31. ^ "Chai with...His Holiness Younus AlGohar of Messiah Foundation International" (PDF), Asia Today, September 2014, archived from the original (PDF) on 10 October 2014, retrieved 7 October 2014
  32. ^ Gohar Shahi, Riaz Ahmed (2000). The Religion of God. United States: Balboa Press. p. 36. ISBN 978-1-45254-908-8. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
  33. ^ Gohar Shahi, Riaz Ahmed (2000). The Religion of God. United States: Balboa Press. pp. xi. ISBN 978-1-45254-908-8. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
  34. ^ a b c "Who is Holiness". via Yahoo Geocities. Archived from the original on 23 November 2001. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
  35. ^ a b "10 held for raising slogans in favour of Gohar Shahi". Dawn. Pakistan. 26 June 2002. Retrieved 7 March 2010.
  36. ^ a b "Gohar Shahi interview with Scholars". via YouTube. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
  37. ^ 'We are spiritually connected to the Awaited Ones'-Messiah Foundation Intl, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 2010, p. 4{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  38. ^ "The Man on the Moon that Nostradamus Prophesized". Retrieved 18 March 2010.
  39. ^ "About Imam Mehdi". Retrieved 13 July 2013.
  40. ^ a b "Banned magazines to be seized", Pakistan Press Foundation, Karachi, 20 August 2005, archived from the original on 27 July 2011, retrieved 16 July 2013
  41. ^ Staff. "The Religion of God – Divine Love". Balboa Press. Retrieved 29 June 2012. Page directing to e-book, version for iBooks, softcover and hardcover version of the book.
  42. ^ The Religion of God (Divine Love), retrieved 29 June 2012
  43. ^ Balboa Press Best Sellers, archived from the original on 1 July 2012, retrieved 1 July 2012
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