Tahir-ul-Qadri

Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr. Muhammad Tahir ul-Qadri (Urdu: محمد طاہر القادری) (also known as Quaid-e-Inqalab, Quaid-e-Muhterum, Shaykh ul Islam and Qibla Hazoor) (born February 19, 1951) is a Muslim writer, poet, professor, religious scholar, and a politician from Pakistan.

Dr. Tahir ul Qadri is the founding leader of Minhaj ul Qur'an International, a worldwide organisation whose stated aim is the establishment of unity and understanding between communities,^[1] and education for the young in the classical Islamic sciences for the promotion of peace.^[2]^[3] He is also founder of the Minhaj Welfare Foundation which is for the provision of welfare for the needy^[4] and of the Minhaj International University based in Lahore. Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri is also the founding chairman of the political party Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT).

He was first declared as Shaykh-ul-Islam in 1994 by Sayyid Rasûl Shâh Khâkî of Chakwâl who had died at the age of 130 years and who was a direct student of Imam Ahmad Raza Khan Barelwi. Among others, Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri was also declared as 'Shaykh-ul-Islam' in 2004 by the Arab Ulema including the Imam of Umayyad Mosque Shaykh As’ad Muhammad Sa`îd as-Sâgharjî, Damascus, Syria and the Imam of Jâmi`a Muhaddith al-Akbar, Shaykh Abul-Khayr Shukri.^[6]

Family background

Dr Muhammad Tahir ul Qadri is the son of a scholar named, Dr. Farid-ud-Din Qadri. His ancestors belong to the Sial family of Jhang. They were landlords of Kheewa Village, Chiniot Road of Tehsil & District Jhang. Two of them were known to be spiritual persons and gave up all their lands and properties and migrated to Jhang (then Known as Maghiana).

The first was Mian Baha-ud-Din and the second Mian Jumma Khan, his great grand father, who is said to devote himself to Allah's worship. He was seen as a pious man and he had 5 sons and a daughter.

The eldest son was Dr. Farid-ud-Din Qadri who was born in 1918 at Jhang. He traveled worldwide for Arabic & Persian Literatures, Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence) especially Tasawwuf (Sufism).

He graduated and specialized in Eastern Medicine from Lukhnow (India) and was awarded gold Medal in 1940 from Punjab University. He studied in Lukhnow, Hyderabad, Delhi, Damascus, Baghdad and Madinah. He was associated with Hakim Nabeena Ansari in Delhi and Hyderabad. He was a speaker, poet, medical practitioner and a spiritual student of Naqibul Ashraaf Hazrat Seyyed Ibrahim Saif-ud-din al Jilani of Baghdad who moved to Bombay, India. He remained associated with Allama Dr. Muhammad Iqbal and worked with Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in the Pakistan Movement. He was the medical consultant to the King Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia. It is narrated by him that when he visited Saudi Arabia in 1948 he prayed to Allah in the late hours of the night to bless him with a child who could serve Islam and the Muslim World and one who would earn his blessings both in this world and the next. It is said that The Prophet conveyed to him the news of Tahir's birth in a dream.^[7] Dr. Farid-ud-Din died at Jhang in November 2nd 1974, of the age 56.

Dr. Tahir-ul-Qadri is married and has two sons and three daughters who are Hassan Mohi-ud-Din, Hussain Mohi-ud-Din, Qurrat-ul-Ain Fatima, Aisha Qurrat-ul-Ain and Khadija Qurrat-ul-Ain.

Education

1955-1963: Primary and Secondary Education - Sacred Heart School, Jhang Sadar, Pakistan.

1963: Started Religious Studies at Madinah, Saudi Arabia under the guidance of Hazrat Maulana Zia-ud-Din Madani
Studied, and did Sima of Hadith from al-Sayyid Alawi al-Malik (Father of Muhammad Alawi al-Maliki) and received Ijaza

1966: Higher Secondary Education Islamia High School, Jhang Sadar. (Ist Division with distinction)

1986: Ph.D in Islamic Law (Punishments in Islam, their Classification and Philosophy) Punjab University, Lahore

Academic career

Positions held

The International Biographical Centre (IBC), Cambridge, UK has awarded Prof. Dr. Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri the "Medal of International Man of the Year 1997-98" in Recognition of his Outstanding Contributions to the Society.^[8] They also declared him "International Man of the Year 1998-99" in recognition of his services to social work and education.^[9]

Views

Dr. Muhammad Tahir ul Qadri is a Sunni scholar but does not associate himself with either Barelwis or Deobandis. He believes in Tasawwuf however only if it is followed in the strict guidelines of Sharia. He has severely condemned those who cross the lines of Sharia and those who benefit from Tasawwuf financially.

Dr. Qadri strongly disagrees with Wahhabism and has delivered many lectures proving their teachings incorrect. He declared that they have left the true, classical teachings of Islam and are a new form of Khawarij.

His main aims and objectives are to promote interfaith dialogue and to suppress the extreme image of Islam. His main effort is towards the betterment of the social, cultural, and religious teachings of Islam, and to enlighten people with the knowledge of their rights and duties and to present a realistic, rational and scientific picture of Islam.

He showed great concern when the caricatures mocking the Prophet Muhammad were published in newspapers around Europe. He sent out a memorandum called 'A call to prevent a clash of civilizations'.^[11]^[12] The memorandum was noted in the media^[13] and many ministers gave a response.^[14]^[15]

Religious scholar

Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir ul Qadri had bayah with Ash-Shaykh Al Syed Tahir Allauddin Al Gillani and became his student.

He has currently delivered more than 6000 lectures on economy and political studies, religious and social philosophy, law, spiritualism, medical sciences, material sciences and astronomy. These lectures are available in Urdu, English and Arabic at different Islamic Shops around the world.^[16]^[17]^[18] Various international TV channels are regularly airing lectures of Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri, such as QTV (ARY), PTV Prime and Islam Channel

He has authored some 450 published works in Arabic, English and Urdu.^[19]^[20]^[21] Amongst his most notable and recent works are:

Those who have received Ijaza from him

Shaykh-ul-Islam has himself given ijaza to a number of leading Muslim scholars, making them his students, linking them through himself back to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family).^[22] These include among many others:

Syria

Iraq

Yemen

Egypt

Indian Sub-continent

Europe and America

Political career

In May 1989, Dr. Tahir-ul-Qadri founded a political party named Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT). The main aims of this political party were to improve the state of human rights, justice and the women's role in Pakistan. Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) other aim was to remove corruption and the value of money in 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-Nifas-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, Dr. Qadri continuously worked as an opposition leader tying to indicating the government's mistakes and suggesting 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.

Dr. 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.

Criticism

He has been criticized for his political career even though he officially resigned as an MNA (Member of the National Assembly).

A Toronto columnist was allegedly attacked by his follower for wrongfully claiming that Dr Qadri had claimed "that he could write the name of Mohammed on the moon with his finger."^[23] However, Dr. Tahir ul Qadri's lecture said nothing to this effect, though thousands among the audience believed to have seen that clouds forming in the shape of the Arabic letters, spelling "Muhammad"--photographic evidence and video footage is widely available on the internet.^[24] Dr. Tahir ul Qadri and Minhaj ul Quran International (Canada) condemned the assault on the journalist and stated that they will co-operate with the authorities to find the overzealous supporters responsible.^[25]

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