Thousands at funeral of city's Muslim 'figurehead'

Pir Sahib recently died after a prolonged illness

Thousands of people have gathered to pay their respects to Syed Mahroof Shah, a figurehead of Bradford's Muslim community.

Mourners came together at the Jamiyat Tabligh-ul-Islam Bradford Central Mosque on Friday evening.

Pir Sahib, as he was affectionately known, died aged 88 after a long illness.

Speaking at his funeral, Sofia Buncy, from the community charity Khidmat Centres, said he was a "very wise man" with an "immense" reach.

Thousands of mourners came to pay their respects on Friday

Pir Sahib helped to found the Bradford Council of Mosques and was instrumental in building Muslim communities in the city over the past 60 years.

Ms Buncy said Pir Sahib "resonated with all generations" and was celebrated for his service to local communities.

As part of his works, he helped to oversee the development of 18 mosques and supplementary schools in Bradford.

He was also a "pioneer" of the Masajid movement, which began in the city and influenced the development of mosques throughout the UK and Europe.

The funeral took place at the Jamiyat Tabligh-ul-Islam Bradford Central Mosque

The Bradford Council of Mosques estimated between 8,000 and 10,000 people attended the funeral.

The Bishop of Bradford, Toby Haworth, was among those in attendance.

"People loved him and he was a pioneer. We owe so much to him," he said.

"I have been talking to colleagues from the Hindu, Sikh, Jewish, Christian traditions and we have all put together a statement to express our condolences.

"We recognise what a loss this is for Bradford and we want to pay our respects to our Muslim brothers and sisters."

Sofia Buncy said the religious leader's reach was "immense"

The former Mayor of Bradford, Mohammed Ajeeb, who was a close friend of Pir Sahib for 45 years, said he was "kind, compassionate and tolerant" and "a man who wanted to promote peace and harmony in the city of Bradford".

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