Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri

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Muhammad Tahir ul-Qadri (Urdu: محمد طاہر القادری) (born February 19, 1951, Jhang, Pakistan) is a Pakistani Sufi scholar and former professor of international constitutional law at the University of the Punjab.

Qadri is the founder of Minhaj-ul-Quran International, a Sufi-based global organisation working in the fields of welfare, human rights and education. Its objectives are the promotion of a moderate and non-extremist vision of Sufi-Islam, the establishment of good relations and understanding between communities and religions, and the education of youth employing the methods of Sufism. He also founded The Minhaj University of which he is the head of the Board of Governors, as well as an international relief charity, Minhaj Welfare Foundation. Qadri is the founding chairman of the political party Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT), however, he is no longer involved in politics. Qadri has been credited with speeking at the World Economic Forum in January 2011.

Biography

Qadri is the son of Farid-ud-Din Qadri. His ancestors belong to the Sial family of Jhang. Qadri started his education at the Christian 'Sacred Heart School' in Jhang, a Catholic mission school, where Qadri learned English and was exposed to Christianity at an early age. He began his religious education at the age of 12 in Madinah, Saudi Arabia at the Madrasa al-‘Ulūm ash-Shar‘iyya, which was situated in the house of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, the first residence of the Islamic prophet Muhammad after his migration to Madinah.^{Citation Needed} He learned under Hazrat Maulana Zia-ud-Din Madani and studied Hadith from al-Sayyid Alawi al-Malik. He then received Ijaza and continued his religious education with his father and other scholars, and completed Dars-e-Nizami and Dars-e-Hadith.

He studied law at the University of the Punjab, Lahore where he graduated with an LLB in 1974, gaining a Gold Medal for his academic performances.^{Citation Needed} Following a period of legal practice as an advocate, he taught law at the University of the Punjab from 1978 to 1983 and then gained his PhD in islamic Law from the same university in 1986.^{Citation Needed} He was appointed as a professor of Law at the University of Punjab, where he taught British, US and Islamic constitutional law.

Tahir-ul-Qadri speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos on 27 January 2011

He was appointed as a Jurist Consultant (legal adviser) on Islamic law for the Supreme Court and the Federal Shariat Court of Pakistan and also worked as a specialist adviser on Islamic curricula for the Federal Ministry of Education (Pakistan). At various times between 1983 and 1987, he received and declined offers for various high-level posts.^{Citation Needed}

He has delivered more than 6,000 lectures on economy and political studies, religious philosophy, law, Sufism, medical sciences, material sciences and astronomy. Numerous lectures are available in Urdu, English and Arabic at different Islamic Shops around the world.

Qadri has himself given ijazah to a number of leading Muslim scholars, making them his students, linking them through himself back to Muhammad.

In 2006, Qadri was a keynote speaker at the Muslims of Europe Conference in Istanbul, Turkey to discuss identity, citizenship, and challenges and opportunities for European Muslims.

In August 31, 2008 Qadri gave lecture on "Islam on Peace, Integration and Human Rights" hosted by Farghana Institute Manchester.

In March 2010 he gained media attention for the launch of his unconditional Fatwa on Terrorism and appeared on various international media outlets including Sky News, BBC News, ITV, EuroNews, Al-Jazeera, CNN and CNN's Amanpour, CBC News, Russia Today, Al Arabiya and various other outlets. He appeared on Frost Over The World in which he was interviewed by Sir David Frost and Qadri said the 'purpose of his life is to bring peace and harmony in the world.' The US State Department declared the Fatwa to be a significant publication which takes back Islam from terrorists.

Qadri was quoted in the American Foreign Policy magazine as "I am trying to bring [the terrorists] back towards humanism. This is a jihad against brutality, to bring them back towards normality. This is an intellectual jihad."

In March 2010,Tahir-ul-Qadri was invited by renowned scholar Professor John Esposito to speak at Georgetown University at the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding. audience which included US-government officials, cadets from US Army, Navy and Air Force as well as academicians, policy makers and representatives of various organisations and agencies. Former Director of Operations of World Bank, Mr Ziad Alahdad was also present.

In August 2010 Qadri held the first anti-terrorism camp for Muslim youth at the University of Warwick with the aim of tackling extremism in the UK. The camp was organised by his organisation Minhaj-ul-Quran UK which has established 572 schools, a number of colleges and a chartered university.

In 24 October 2010 Dr. Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, gave a powerful speech to a gathering of thousands of British Muslims at the Global Peace and Unity event on the topic of “Jihad: Perception and reality”. Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri said "Let me make it very clear and sound, let me remove any ambiguity that no leader or a group has any authority to declare Jihad. If any leader or a group does that, it is terrorism and not jihad." He also made it clear that “it is solely the prerogative of a state authority to declare Jihad and only as a matter of last resort when diplomacy and all other efforts to make peace have failed.”

In 10 November 10 Tahir-ul-Qadri delivered a special lecture on “Islamic Concept of Jihad” at the US Institute of Peace,a prestigious think-tank. The audience comprised senior scholars, doctors, professors, engineers, policy makers and opinion leaders etc.

In January 2011 Qadri was invited to speak at the World Economic Forum in Davos on the topic of "The Reality of Terrorism".

In April 2011 Qadri was invited to speak at the U.S-Islamic World Forrum which was jointly organized by the Brookings Institution, Qatar Government and the OIC,where he spoke on issues like integration and identity, the impact of media and politics, security and counter-terrorism, the treatment of minorities, and interfaith relations.

In July 2011 Qadri gave lecture on the issues of terrorism and integration at NSW Parliament House in Sydney, Australia where he was invited by the member of the NSW Legislative Council, the Hon. Shaoquett Moselmane MLC .The audience at the lecture comprised members of the NSW Legislative Council, ministers, politicians, policy makers, senior scholars and religious leaders, etc.

In 19 July 2011 Qadri appeared on NEWS LINE Australia Network where he discussed about Terrorism & Troops withdrawal in Afghanistan .

In Jul 23, 2011 Qadri appeared on SBS ONE TV where Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, cautioned Western governments on their aid and anti-terror funding"

Foundation of Minhaj-ul-Quran

Qadri founded a Sufism-based organisation Minhaj-ul-Quran International in October 1981 and spent the next decade expanding it nationally and internationally.

Views

Views on an Extremism & Terrorism

Tahir ul Qadri during Al-Hidayah in the UK

He argues that terrorists have left the true, classical teachings of Islam and that their rebellious spirit of violence and religious extremism is a continuity of the Khawarij. Qadri was one of the religious leaders in Pakistan to condemn the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. He has denounced and severely condemned Osama bin Ladin.

Qadri refutes the division of the world into two categories Dar al-Islam (the abode of Islam) and Dar al-harb (the abode of war) and that the west being the latter, which has been taught by various scholars including Sheikh ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyah which is one of the reasons why radicals misuse this concept. Qadri has briefly explained this concept in his Fatwa on Terrorism. He divides the world into five categories and believes the west is similar to Dar al-Islam due to the freedom of religions and based on the international law. Qadri has commented: "All these Western countries - Britain, Europe, North America, wherever you are living - since you are enjoying all rights, all freedoms according to the constitution as other non-Muslim communities are enjoying, there is no difference. And I would have no hesitation in saying you are enjoying the rights and freedoms much better than in many other Muslim and Arab countries."

He describes terrorism as an "ideological infection" and believes that, through his anti-terrorism summer camps, "we are fighting on the ideological, philosophical, theological and academic fronts. We are trying to educate young people."

He expressed concern when cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad were published in newspapers around Europe and sent out a memorandum called 'A call to prevent a clash of civilizations'.

Reuters featured Qadri in August 2009 as a leading Sufi scholar who is working to bring the western youth away from extremism towards moderate Islam and to combat extreme tendencies.

After the December 2009 Rawalpindi attack he was quoted as saying: "Suicide attacks are not allowed in Islam, these actions are un-Islamic, a view which is also widely acknowledged by non-Sufi Muslims based on the teachings of the QuranTemplate:Cite quran. The slaughter of human beings in any religion or country, and terrorism in all its manifestations, are totally in contradiction with the teachings of Islam."

On 2 March 2010, Qadri issued a 600-page Fatwa on Terrorism, which is an "absolute" scholarly refutation of all terrorism without "any excuses or pretexts." He said that "Terrorism is terrorism, violence is violence and it has no place in Islamic teaching and no justification can be provided for it, or any kind of excuses or ifs or buts." Qadri said his fatwa, which declares terrorists and suicide bombers to be unbelievers, goes further than any previous denunciation.

On 9 September 2010, Qadri wrote a letter to the U.S. President Barack Obama in response to the controversial 'Burn a Quran Day' urging him to stop this incident from happening. Qadri wrote in an article published on the CNN website: "If this event had gone ahead it would not be less than 9/11 in the sense of far-reaching consequences and after-effects." he added: "A handful of individuals, it does not matter whether they are related to mosque or church, cannot be given the right to flippantly play about with peaceful co-existence, and their so-called sentiments cannot be preferred over global peace."

The US Congress funded think-tank United States Institute of Peace hosted Qadri in November 2010 to speak about his struggle against radicalism in Islam in light of his Fatwa on Terrorism.

Qadri at a news conference in London explaining the Fatwa on Terrorism.

Qadri states in his Fatwa on Terrorism:

"The importance Islam lays on the sanctity and dignity of human life can be gauged from the fact that Islam does not allow indiscriminate killing even when Muslim armies are engaged in war against enemy troops. The killing of children, women, the old, infirm, religious leaders and traders is strictly prohibited. Nor can those who surrender their arms, confine themselves to their homes and seek shelter of anyone be killed. The public cannot be massacred. Likewise, places of worship, buildings, crops and even trees cannot be destroyed. On the one hand, there is a clear set of Islamic laws based on extreme discretion, and on the other, there are people who invoke the name of Islam to justify the indiscriminate killing of people, children, and women everywhere, without any distinction of religion or identity. It is a pity that such barbaric people still refer to their activities as Jihad. There can be no bigger discrepancy than this to be seen on earth. It can in no way be permissible to keep foreign delegates under unlawful custody and murder them and other peaceful non-Muslim citizens in retaliation for the interference, unjust activities and aggressive advances of their countries. The one who does has no relation to Islam and the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him)."

Views on an Islamic State

Qadri views an Islamic state as a Muslim-majority country which respects freedom, the rule of law, global human rights (including religious freedom), social welfare, women's rights and the rights of minorities.

He also claims that the first constitution of Madinah "declared the state of Madinah as a political unit". He also mentions that the constitution declared the "indivisible composition of the Muslim nation (Ummah)".

With respect to constitutions, Tahir ul-Qadri says: "This was the constitution, which provided the guarantee of fundamental human rights in our history." He believes that "a constitution is a man-made law and by no means it can be declared superior to a God-made law."

He believes in the Sovereignty of God’s law, that the Qur'an and Sunnah equates to State law, and that Islam encourages political activity. Tahir ul-Qadri sees Islam as a faith which allows political participation. He believes in democracy and human rights, and argues that rights are defined by Islam in Quran and Sunnah.^{Citation Needed}

Published Works

He has authored some 400 published works in Arabic, English and Urdu. Amongst his notable and recent works are:

• “Muqudma Sira-tur-Rasool(saw)” unprecedented work in Islamic history on the pattern of Muqaddima Ibn Khaldun .This fact needs to be mentioned that no writer ever authored prologue or Muqudma in the history of Sira writing.Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri holds this distinction that he has added a new chapter to the discipline as well as the world of knowledge. He authored two huge volumes of about 1500 pages on Muqudma Sira-tur-Rasool (saw). Thus he also addressed the people of the world and not merely Muslim on the mentioned subject because a normal discourse on Sira could only attract the Muslims and only they could benefit from it. He has clarified that the purpose behind discourse on Sira is the establishment of such a world where man could live in an ideal society and peacefully because the sacred Sira is not merely person-specific or individualistic in its apparent and hidden perspectives but is also an international Sira. It does not merely offer the code of life for an individual but is a complete code of life for societies and the worlds. With the progress of humanity, the need and importance of Sira would also continue to increase.

• “Imam Abu Hanifa: Imam al-A’imma fi’l-Hadith” historic Book stemming from several months of research in which he proved that Imam Azam Abu Hanifa is the Imam of Hadith of all imams of Hadith including Imam Bukhari, Imam Muslim, Imam Tirmizi, Imam Abu Dawood, Imam Nasai etc

• “Dala’il al-Barakat” (10,000 Durood and Salawaat in praise of Muhammad, written in the style of the well-read Dala’il al-Khayrat of Imam Jazuli, which was written nearly 1,000 years ago),
• “Kitab at-Tawhid’”(a detailed treatise on the concept of the unity of Allah)Consisting of 2 Volumes.

• “Minhaj us Sawi’” (A Hadith compendium in 2 volumes compiled in the pattern and style of Imam Nawawi’s “Riyad us-Salihin رياض الصالحين” and Khatib Tabrizi’s “Mishkat al-Masabih” Consisting of approximately 1,000 pages),

• “Mawlid an-Nabi”, the largest ever written work on the subject of Mawlid, consisting of approximately 1,000 pages.

The entire income of Qadri’s published books, DVDs/CDs of his lectures is dedicated forever on his behalf to his organisation Minhaj-ul-Quran International which is usually published inside his books.

English works include:

• Fatwa on Terrorism and Suicide Bombings
• Irfan ul Quran (Modern and Scientific English translation of the Quran)
• Beseeching for Help
• Peace, Integration and Human Rights
• Ijtihad (meanings, application and scope)
• Creation of Man
• Islamic Concept of Human Nature
• Islam and Criminality
• Pearls of Remembrance
• Islam on Prevention of Heart Diseases
• Islamic Concept of Intermediation
• The Constitution of Madina (First ever written constitution)
• Islamic Concept of Knowledge (Al Ilm)
• Spiritualism and Magnetism
• Creation and Evolution of the Universe
• Islam and Freedom of Human Will
• Islamic Concept of Law
• Greetings and Salutations on the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم)
• Islam and Politics
• The Islamic State
• The Ghadir Declaration
• Virtues of Sayyedah Fatimah

Political career

Template:Main Template:BLP unsourced section On May 25, 1989, Qadri founded a political party Pakistan Awami Tehreek or PAT. The main aims of this political party were to introduce the culture of true democracy, economic stability, improve the state of human rights, justice and the women's role in Pakistan. Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) other aim was to remove corruption from Pakistani politics.

In 1990, Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) participated in the national elections just one year after it was founded. In 1991, PAT and TNFJ (Tehreek-e-Nifaz-e-Fiqh-e-Jafria A shia political group ) now known as Tehreek-e-Jafria signed a 'Communique of Unity' in order to promotes social and religious harmony. In another creative move, PAT for the first time in the political history of Pakistan, introduced an idea of "working relationship" between the three national political forces, PAT, TNFJ and Tehreek-e-Istaqlal.

From 1989 to 1993, Qadri continuously worked as an opposition leader tying to indicate the government's mistakes and to suggest ways for improving the situation in the political, educational, and economical fields. In 1992 he presented a complete working plan for interest-free banking in Pakistan covering all kinds of national and international transaction which was recognized and appreciated by all sections of the society including industrial and banking professionals. PAT offices were also opened in major foreign countries.

Qadri continued his research alongside his political career and, in 1996 he presented a thesis on the utilization of an observatory for moon sighting based on the more recent scientific findings.

He was elected as an MNA (Member of the National Assembly) of his Lahore constituent on the Pakistani National Parliament.

However, on November 29th 2004, Qadri announced his resignation as a Member of the National Assembly. His 41-page resignation stated 'Political Corruption and Blackmailing', 'Undemocratic Democracy', 'Institutional Instability' and 'Failure of Accountability and Sabotage of National Assembly' as the main topics surrounding his departure.

on January , 2011 addressing meeting of MQI's Majlis-e-Shura he said " The people need to be at the forefront of campaign for awakening the national consciousness. The present system allows for change of faces at the helm of affairs. Unless people rise up and be counted, the power elite, which comprises three percent of the country's population would continue to push them against the wall. He said, “There is a dire need to get rid of this system if we have to preserve the future of our succeeding generations.

See also

• Minhaj-ul-Quran International
• Qadiriyya Sufi Order
• Fatwa on Terrorism
• Minhaj us Sawi
• The Amman Message
• Contemporary Islamic philosophy

External links

• Minhaj-ul-Quran Research Institute
• Translation of the Holy Quran in English & Urdu
• by Minhaj Ul Quran International- drtahirulqadri.com
• Online Quran Project includes the English and Urdu Qur'an translation by Tahir al-Qadri.
• Books by Tahir ul Qadri to Read Online
• Speeches by Tahir ul Qadri to Play & Download
• The Official Website of Minhaj-ul-Quran
• Minhaj Encyclopedia (Urdu)
• Tahir ul-Qadri's Legal Opinion against Terror: Fatwa Falls on Deaf Ears
• Correct Islamic Faith International Association (CIFIA)
• The Constitution of Madina
• Tahir Qadri's Sufism and his Worshippers
• Misconceptions Clarified

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