Shaikh Idrees

Shaikh Idrees was the kind of person who made everyone feel seen. I’ll never forget the time we met at a small gathering in his home—a modest place with a worn rug and shelves of books. He was laughing, gesturing wildly as he explained something about Islamic philosophy, his eyes sparkling with that infectious enthusiasm he had for sharing knowledge. He had this way of making even the most complex ideas feel like a conversation between friends. Once, when I asked him about balancing his roles as a scholar and a politician, he joked, “I don’t balance—I *juggle*.” And he did, with a grace that made it look effortless. He’d spend mornings teaching at Darul Uloom Haqqania, afternoons debating policies in the assembly, and evenings cooking for his family, always insisting, “Food is love