Shaikh Muhammad Akram Awan was born on 31 December 1934 in the village of Noorpur Sethi, about 4 km form the present headquarters of the Order, Dar-ul-Irfann Munara. He received his initial education in his village school and later entered the college at Chakwal. He spent a turbulent youth characterized by family feuds and external skirmishes. Duly dismayed by the violence and tumult, he set out in search of peace and truth. His sincere resolve was answered at the age of 24, when he met Shaikh Allah yar Khan at a gathering. He worked in close association with his Shaikh, marked by unmatched sincerity and devotion, for twenty-five years. Shaikh Allah Yar Khan transformed the unbridled youth into a Sufi saint of high eminence, infusing deep vision and spiritual blessings into the heart of his promising student.
Shaikh Muhammad Akram Awan did not receive formal education at any religious institution. He acquired the basic Knowledge of Islamic teachings directly form his Shaikh. Blessed with llm-al-ladunni (Knowledge form the Divine presence,) he has special insight in Tafsir (interpretation of the Holy Quran). He used to deliver regular lectures on Quranic teachings during the life of his Shaikh and embarked upon writing a Tafsir of the Quran, entitled Asrar-at-Tanzil, soon after his Shaikh’s death. This was in fulfillment of Shaikh Allah Yar Khan’s desire, for he could not undertake this work himself due to the enormous demands of his mission. Because of its deep spiritual insight, Shaikh Mohammad Akram’s Asrar-at-Tanzil has received wide acclaim and recognition form all schools of Islamic thought, both in Pakistan and abroad.
He is dean of the Siqarah Education System, a unique System which integrates the teachings of with education at both secondary and college levels and strives to transform its young students into enlightened, practical Muslims.
He is the Patron-in Chief of Al-Murshid, a monthly magazine of the Order in Urdu. He regularly writes for the Magazine to provide guidance for seekers on the spiritual heritage of Muslim ummah.
He is also the Patron-in Chief of Al Falah Foundation an organization established in 1989 for the welfare of the people, especially the poor, in Pakistan’s rural areas.
His sole mission in life is to create in Muslims awareness of their spiritual heritage and to carry the prophetic lights and blessings to every comer of the globe for the guidance of mankind as a whole. He is an ardent advocate and supporter of Muslim causes and is committed to Islamic renewal along the lines of Khair ul-Quroon (the best period in human history form 13 B.H. to 325 A.H.)