Muhammad Atta-ullah Faizani

Faizani disappeared from prison in 1979 shortly after the communist Khalqis came to power. It is probable that he was executed before the Soviet invasion took place.

To eliminate Faizani's strong influence among the upper echelons of Afghan society (especially among the military elites), in 1973 President Daoud of Afghanistan and his Communist advisors accused the Hizb-i Tawheed of organizing a coup d'etat. This accusation led to the final imprisonment of Faizani and hundreds of his disciples. It was during this last imprisonment that he suffered the cruelest tortures, including having his beard plucked out one hair at a time, being continually whipped, electrocuted, and having his teeth crushed.

In 1969, Faizani organized the Religious Scholars' Uprising at the Pul-i Khisti mosque in Kabul. Although the authorities thought that this protest would dissipate after a short while, the protest grew in numbers and persisted for weeks. To halt the demonstrations, the government cracked down on the restive demonstrators and imprisoned many of the protest's leaders, including Faizani. This was to be Faizani's fifth stint in prison and lasted a year and a half.

Muhammad Atta-ullah Faizani (born 17 April 1923, date of death unknown) was an Afghan Islamic scholar. The honorific "Faizani", a derivation of an Arabic word which denotes something that overflows with God's light (blessings), was bestowed upon him by the imam of the Kaaba during his Hajj.

Faizani was born in Herat, Afghanistan on 17 April 1923 to a family of miagan, religious scholars said to be descended from an Islamic saint. As a child Faizani was home-schooled in the traditional Afghan manner. Entering his teens, Faizani studied at a High School in Herat and finally at Kabul University, where he graduated in 1941. For eight years following his graduation he served as a High School principal in his hometown until a passion for God overcame him. At this time Faizani left home and traveled widely throughout the Islamic world of the mid-20th century seeking knowledge of Islam and its various practices.