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

Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri

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Full name	Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri
Born	February 19, 1951 (1951-02-19)
Region	Pakistan
School	Hanafi Sufi
Main interests	Sufism, Islamic Philosophy, Hadith, Tafsir, Seerah, Tasawwuf, Politics
Notable ideas	Fatwa on Terrorism, Concept of Jihad, interfaith dialogue
Influenced by Tahir Allauddin, Allama Iqbal, Shaykh ibn al-`Arabi, Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, Abdul-Qadir Gilani
Influence on Shaykh As’ad Muhammad Saeed as-Sagharji, Shaykh Babikir Ahmed Babikir, Shaykh Abdul Hakim MuradCitation Needed
Website	Official Website

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"