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Yusuf al-Qaradawi (Arabic: يوسف القرضاوي) (born September 9, 1926) is a Salafi Sunni Muslim scholar and preacher best known for his popular al Jazeera program, ash-Shariah wal-Hayat ("Shariah and Life"), and his website IslamOnline, which was launched in 1997. He has also published some fifty books, including The Lawful and the Prohibited in Islam and Islam: The Future Civilization. Qaradawi is controversial: among Muslims he is widely considered a moderate conservative, while many Western critics regard him as dangerously radical or as a supporter of violence. Some Muslim opponents see him as lax and influenced by Western ideas.

Biography

Qaradawi was born in Egypt, and attended the Al-Azhar Theological Seminary before moving to Qatar. His father died when he was two, and so he was taken care of by his uncle. His parents urged him to either run a grocery store or to become a carpenter. Instead he memorized the entire Qur'an by age ten. Qaradawi followed Hasan al-Banna during his youth and was imprisoned first under the monarchy in 1949, then three times after the publication of Tyrant and the Scholar, poetic Islamic plays expressing a message through theme. Other works such as Fiqh-al-Zakat (Laws of the Obligatory Charity) are Islamic law treatises which go into precise details.

He has worked in the Egyptian Ministry of Religious Endowments, been the Dean of the Islamic Department at the Faculties of Shariah and Education in Qatar, and been chairman of the Islamic Scientific Councils of Algerian Universities and Institutions.

Qaradawi was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, and has turned down offers to be the Muslim Brotherhood leader various times. Qaradawi is the head of the European Council for Fatwa and Research.

Religious agenda

Qaradawi's religious edicts (fatwas)

Yusuf al-Qaradawi has issued many religious edicts throughout his life (see also IslamOnline). Qaradawi is known for edicts that are meant to be compatible with everyday life. He is also noted for his political fatwas regarding the conflict in the Middle East and the use of violence against civilians.

As Qaradawi has stated that in the case of conflicting fatwas, a Muslim must follow the fatwa that his true conscience believes is closer to the truth.

Qaradawi's popularity

Qaradawi has a show on Al Jazeera called "Sharia and Life" in which he tackles controversial questions. Some of these questions are about the fate of Palestinians suicide bombers. Qaradawi's vision positions himself as a leader of a moderate Islam. He has made many statements about democracy, such as "Islam calls for democracy and grants people the right to choose their governor" and "Free integral elections should be guaranteed, where values of justice and rule of law also prevail" [http://islamonline.net/English/News/2004-08/23/article03.shtml. He frequently quotes the hadith of Muhammad saying "Extremism destroyed those before you".

Qaradawi is very popular and his tapes and videos are available as far away as Indonesia and Malaysia. Azzam Tamimi of the Institute of Islamic Political Thought in London has said "If Sheik Qaradawi gives a fatwa, that fatwa will be heeded tomorrow in hundreds of places around the world."

Secular criticism of Qaradawi

Many secularists have criticized Qaradawi for allegedly using his fatwas and other public statements to advance reactionary beliefs. Qaradawi has supported operations against Israelis, as well as of American civilians in Iraq. Critics allege that in his book, The Lawful and Prohibited in Islam, Qaradawi supports the execution of all males who engage in homosexual acts. female genital mutilation, *" target="_blank" >and that Muslims who have turned away from their faith "deserve killing" [http://www.islamonline.net/fatwa/english/FatwaDisplay.asp?hFatwaID=49276 .

In addition, Qaradawi also made some unequivocal statements about secular democracy: "Secularism may be accepted in a Christian society but it can never enjoy a general acceptance in an Islamic society." *, and "Since Islam is a comprehensive system of `Ibadah (worship) and Shari`ah (legislation), the acceptance of secularism means abandonment of Shari`ah, a denial of the Divine guidance and a rejection of Allah’s injunctions.".

In the same line, on the relationship between universal human rights (as laid down by a human vote) and on the shari'ah (as believed to be the exact instructions of Mohammed) he states: "the Shari`ah cannot be amended to conform to changing human values and standards, rather, it is the absolute norm to which all human values and conduct must conform".

These opinions and others have made him a target of many secular groups in the West. Qaradawi has been banned from the United States of America since 1999.

Qaradawi criticised by conservative Islam

Qaradawi has been attacked by all sides of the Islamic ideology spectrum for his vision of "moderate" Islam. Qaradawi during elections in 2002 in Bahrain, released a fatwa allowing women, especially those past their child-bearing years, as candidates in municipal elections. A Saudi scholar quickly responded that this was illegal under his interpretation of Islamic law.

Qaradawi also urged the Taliban to reconsider its decision to tear down the Buddha statues in Afghanistan in 2001. He was quickly criticized for supporting "idol worship". However upon meeting with leaders from the Taliban he changed his position and praised the act of the destruction of the statues. *

Qaradawi's vision of moderate Islam is one that in his own words "seeks balance between intellect and the heart, between religion and the world, between spirituality and materialism and between individualism and the group."

However, there is a contigent of Sunni scholars who do not agree with Qaradawi's approach to Sharia. They see it as compromising the tradition in favor of being lax. This opinion comes from scholars who are taught in traditional settings and advocate strict adherance to traditional methods of learning and understanding.

However, most Sunni Muslims and scholars generally respect Yusuf al-Qaradawi, which is why he is the head of many fiqh councils around the world, which have representation from many diverse strains of Islamic thought.

The late Sheikh al-Albanee, a Salafi scholar with whom Qaradawi was friends, did not agree with Qaradawi's stance that photography and pictures were lawful. Al-Albanee wrote the book "The Islamic Ruling on Tasweer (pictures)" with his arguments in a response to Qaradawi's ruling. Despite their differing opinions, al-Albanee and Qaradawi never attacked each other and maintained friendship.

Many Salafis who agree with al-Albanee have attacked Qaradawi, using the words "wicked muftee (jurist)" and others. In their view, Qaradawi's opinions are sometimes un-Islamic. Other Salafis who agree with al-Albanee do not attack Qaradawi, and respectfully disagree with his opinions.

One major point of conflict between Qaradawi and the Salafis is the statement by Qaradawi: "The enmity that is between us and the Jews is for the sake of land only, not for the sake of the religion..." (al-Ummah al-Islaamiyyah Haqeeqa, Laa Wahm p.70). Many Wahhabis or Salafis believe that there is enmity between the Muslims and Jews for the sake of religion. However, others believe Qaradawi's position is closer to the moderation, respect, and tolerance of traditional Sunni scholarship.

Another point of conflict is Qaradawi's opinion of the lawfulness of some music and art. Many Muslims believe that music and art are unlawful, even if Islamic music and art.

Qaradawi's response to Muslim criticism

Qaradawi responded on his website Islamonline.net to criticism: ...Sheikh Al-Qaradawi maintains that as having different views on any issue is something natural, one should not concentrate on controversial matters, nor should one focus on refuting others' opinions on slight matters, because this contradicts the syllabus of the righteous predecessors, may Allah be pleased with them. Rather a true believer should be tolerant even if he has a different point of view and be cooperative in applying agreed upon matters. By tolerance he means not to be fanatic in judging controversial matters, doctrines or Imams. Rather a Muslim should be tolerant, as Sheikh Rashid Rida states in his famous magazine Al-Manar saying: “We ought to excuse one another and show tolerance to each other's view regarding controversial issues.”

Qaradawi's new initiatives

His reach is felt in Europe through his presidency of the Dublin-based European Council for Fatwa and Research, an organisation described by The Economist as comprising "32 leading scholars, from Europe and the Middle East, whose self-appointed task is to ponder the dilemmas, moral, personal, and political, faced by European Muslims". (The Herald)

Qaradawi was involved in two initiatives in early 2004. First, he opposed the French ban on the hijab (or Muslim headscarf) in public schools, sending a letter to President Jacques Chirac declaring "Mr. President, we have felt resentful over your considering Hijab an aggression on others. It is just worn out of commitment to religious principles, no more, no less."

And on April 29 2004 Qaradawi announced a new initiative to form an all-inclusive world union of Muslim scholars "with the aim of preserving Islamic identity, promoting religious awareness, confronting 'destructive trends' and giving advice to leaders of Muslim countries." Qaradawi said the new body would use direct and indirect means to realize its objectives, including newspapers, radio and television networks as well as the Internet.

Qaradawi on the Danish Cartoon Controversy

The following are excerpts from a Friday sermon by Qaradawi on Qatar TV on February 3, 2006:

"The nation must rage in anger. It is told that Imam Al-Shafi' said: "Whoever was angered and did not rage is a jackass." We are not a nation of jackasses. We are not jackasses for riding, but lions that roar. We are lions that zealously protect their dens, and avenge affronts to their sanctities. We are not a nation of jackasses. We are a nation that should rage for the sake of Allah, His Prophet, and His book. We are the nation of Muhammad, and we must never accept the degradation of our religion...

"We must rage, and show our rage to the world...

"Before ending my sermon, I would like to issue several warnings. The first warning is directed at our feeble governments, which are trying to gauge America's position: Will America be pleased with us or not if we rage about this? They fear the "Created" more than they fear the Creator *, and try to please people more than they try to please Allah. To those feeble governments we say: Take a courageous stand. Stand up and prove that you are Muslim, and that you protect this religion with zeal. We want our governments not to split from their peoples. The masses throughout the Islamic world have made their position clear, They have displayed their rage. The governments must not split away from these masses. The second warning I direct at the Westerners, the Americans, and the Europeans who follow them, who claim to be fighting terrorism, and struggling against violence throughout the world.

"I say to them: Your silence over such crimes, which offend the Prophet of Islam and insult his great nation, is what begets violence, generates terrorism, and makes the terrorists say: Our governments are doing nothing, and we must avenge our Prophet ourselves. This is what creates terrorism and begets violence...

"We say to those Europeans: We can get by without you, but you cannot get by without us. We can get by without your products. We will buy from China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, from the Asian countries. We will say what King Faysal – may he rest in peace – said in 1973, in the days of the petroleum war. He said to them: We can get by without the petrol, and return to our days of yore. We will make do with milk and dates. We will drink the milk of our camels, and eat the dates from our palm trees. King Faysal said this when there was a threat to Arab honor. It is all the more true when there is a threat to our Islamic honor, to our prophets, and our religion." *

Qaradawi on Homosexuality

On June 5th 2006, on the Al Jazeera "Sharia and Life" programme he regularly features on, al-Qaradawi reiterated the known scholarly views on homosexuality. When asked about the punishment for people who "practise liwaat (sodomy) or sihaaq (lesbian activity)", al-Qaradawi replied: "The same punishment as any sexual pervert - the same as the fornicator." (MEMRI translation) [http://www.memritv.org/search.asp?ACT=S9&P1=1170#

The MEMRI video excerpts and published transcripts, which were distributed widely with claims that al-Qaradawi "backs gay burnings" have been claimed to contain inaccuracies and serious omissions. [http://gaymuslims.wordpress.com/2006/06/27/are-gays-perverts For example, MEMRI offered the following quote with an ellipsis:

"The schools of thought disagree about the punishment. Some say they should be punished like fornicators... Some say we should throw them from a high place, like God did with the people of Sodom. Some say we should burn them, and so on. There is disagreement. * The important thing is to treat this act as a crime."

Rasheed Eldin claims that, on top of MEMRI's innacuracies, the following was cynically replaced by the ellipsis: "...so it is possible for us to choose from them in our era what is most appropriate, and what is lightest, recognising how widespread the tribulation is: because tribulations and sins being widespread is something in Islamic legal theory that causes things to be lightened." *

Qaradawi on Terrorism

After the September 11 attacks, Qaradawi, urging Muslims to donate blood for the victims of the attacks, stated that:

"Islam, the religion of tolerance, holds the human soul in high esteem, and considers the attack against innocent human beings a grave sin, this is backed by the Qur'anic verse which reads:

Who so ever kills a human being for other than manslaughter or corruption in the earth, it shall be as if he has killed all mankind, and who so ever saves the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind," (Al-Ma'dah:32).

"The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, is reported to have said, 'A believer remains within the scope of his religion as long as he doesn't kill another person illegally'"

"Islam never allows a Muslim to kill the innocent and the helpless." He denies that Palestinian suicide bombing attacks constitute terrorism, claiming that "when Palestinians face such unjust aggression, they tend to stem bloodletting and destruction and not to claim the lives of innocent civilians", but qualifies that with "I do agree with those who do not allow such martyr operations to be carried out outside the Palestinian territories."*

With regards to attacks within Israel and the Palestinian territories, he has also been quoted as saying "For us Muslim martyrdom is not the end of things but the beginning of the most wonderful of things." UK Parliament Hansard

Qaradawi's opinion on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Suicide bombings

Qaradawi strongly supports Palestinian attacks on Israeli targets, including against civilians and claim there are legitimate form of resistance. Qaradawi also claims that hundreds of other Islamic scholars are of the same opinion.

Defending bombing against Israeli civilians Qaradawi told BBC Newsnight that:

  • "An Israeli woman is not like women in our societies, because she is a soldier."
  • "I consider this type of martyrdom operation as an evidence of God's justice."
  • "Allah Almighty is just; through his infinite wisdom he has given the weak a weapon the strong do not have and that is their ability to turn their bodies into bombs as Palestinians do".
*
  • "Everything will be on our side and against Jews on Day, at that time, even the stones and the trees will speak, with or without words, and say: 'Oh servant of Allah, oh Muslim, there's a Jew behind me, come and kill him.'"
*

At the press conference held by the organizations sponsoring Qaradawi's visit to London, Qaradawi reiterated his view that "operations)" are a justified from of "resistance" to Israeli occupation. In the past, Qaradawi has justified such actions on the basis that all Israel civilians are potential soldiers since Israel is a "militarized society."

Due to this, Qaradawi has been accused in support of terrorism by Jewish groups and a group of liberal Muslims.

However, he is opposed to attacks outside of the Palestinian territories and on other than Israeli targets. For example, on March 20, 2005, Qaradawi issued a condemnation of a car-bombing that had occurred in Doha, Qatar the day before. One Briton, Jon Adams was killed. Qaradawi issued a statement* that said “Such crimes are committed by insane persons who have no religious affiliation and play well into the hands of the enemies.” and “I urge all Qataris to stand united in facing such an epidemic and uproot it to nip the infection in the bud, otherwise it will spread like wildfire. I, in the name of all scholars in Qatar, denounce such a horrendous crime and pray that it would be the last and implore God to protect this secure country.”.

Qaradawi's reaction to the assassination of Sheikh Ahmad Yassin

On March 23rd 2004, in reaction to the Israeli assassination of Hamas leader Ahmad Yassin, Qaradawi released the following statement calling for unity in violent resistance against Israel:

"Only force and jihad work with those aggressors. The assassination of Sheikh Yassin proved that the peace talks with the Israelis are nothing but lies. This is the true face of Zionism, which pays no attention to any humanitarian value. My heart breaks for Yassin and I offer my heartfelt condolences to my brothers in Hamas, Palestine and Muslims worldwide. He was assassinated by blooded hands as he was returning from dawn prayers. He met his Creator satisfied and pleased [with his decades of resistance and struggle. Truly, dying a martyr is the best death a Muslim can get. His martyrdom will not bring in security and peace to Israel as Sharon thinks. The assassination of Sheikh Yassin will rather put a curse on Israel and ushers in its end. All Palestinians should now unify ranks and heal rifts to avenge the killing of Yassin and his companions."

Qaradawi on the Israeli operation in Rafah

On May 19th 2004, Qaradawi released a statement appealing to Muslims to help the victims of Israeli military operations in the Rafah refugee camp in Gaza. Qaradawi said "The tyrant Zionist state has demolished the houses of your Palestinian brothers, particularly Rafah, scooped up their farms, and destroyed their properties. Palestinians are left homeless and penniless and they need your help" he stressed that this was not a "voluntary act" but an obligatory Islamic duty.

Qaradawi on Arab reform

On May 20th 2004, Qaradawi was interviewed by al Jazeera on his stances on Arab reform. Qaradawi said that Islam welcomes reform which he defined as "turning the thing that is corrupt into something upright." He said reform combats 3 types of corruption: political, economic and moral.

"First there is political corruption, the deceiving of the masses to serve authority; an example would be a journalist who uses his pen to tout for a leader, or an occupier who invades a country and revamps its political structure to serve his interest.

...You also have economic corruption, a subject that the Qur'an has addressed as well. Those who misuse public funds for their own purposes while their people are undergoing extreme poverty are an illustration of this.

Moral corruption is another problem that must be confronted and reformed. It can extend to engulf an entire society turning it into a nepotistic, nihilist and morally loose one.

There are also other forms of corruption that would include environmental corruption, the destruction of the beautiful Earth that God has created, and so on."

Qaradawi stated that Muslims loathe corruption and should strive to initiate reforms. He clarified that each nation is responsible for reforming itself, rather than other's reforming it (a response to the U.S. "Greater Middle East Initiative"). Qaradawi said there are 5 conditions to reform in Islam:

  1. The principles of Islam are used to fulfill Islamic interests and not outside interests.
  2. The methodology of reform must come from Muslim scholars and not outside influences.
  3. Reform must be implemented by the will of the people, and by the people themselves.
  4. Reforms must come from within and not from outside influences.
  5. Gradualism while implementing reforms.

Qaradawi on democracy in the Muslim World

Speaking in Istanbul, Turkey, Qaradawi explained his opinion that the entire Muslim world needed Democracy.
"The Muslim world needs democracy. It wants democracy. But it should be real democracy and not just democracy by name only... Democracy has done some good things. It has saved humanity from despots and dictators who act like gods. The details should be left to the people. Let them decide for themselves" Muslim world needs democracy, says Qaradawi - The Muslim News - Saturday, July 8, 2006

Qaradawi's London Visit

On July 6th 2004, a British MP Louise Ellman called for denying Qaradawi a visa to visit London. One day later, on July 7th, 2004, mayor of London Ken Livingstone supported Qaradawi in his intention to get the visa. On July 10th 2004, after Qaradawi had visited London, the Crown Prosecution Service concluded that there was no legal ground to prosecute Qaradawi.

At the press conference held by the organizations sponsoring Qaradawi's visit, Qaradawi reiterated his view that "martyrdom operations" are a justified form of "resistance" to Israeli occupation. In the past, Qaradawi has justified such actions on the basis that all Israel civilians are potential soldiers since Israel is a "militarized society."

Qaradawi's website, IslamOnline.net released the following news release on July 10th 2004

"The swift decision of the CPS indicates that the so-called dossier of evidence submitted by the Metropolitan police commissioner Sir John Stevens did not contain grounds for legal action, said the Guardian. The British daily described the decision as "a setback for the Board of Deputies of British Jews which initially sent the material to the police."

Henry Grunwald QC, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, criticized the CPS decision. "We regret the decision by the CPS," said Grunwald, adding that "Al-Qaradawi is being very careful about what he says publicly whilst he's in the UK."

Addressing 3,500 worshippers during Friday prayers at London's central mosque, Al-Qaradawi said

"If they are really after the truth, and think they are fair, why don't they find the truth about me, instead of indulging in this attack on me." He also stated "It is not the first time I have visited London. It is not the 10th time or the 100th time. For over a third of a century I have been visiting London. London is an open city, so why is there this row when I visit London today?".

The BBC World News reported on July 10th 2004 that "Doctor Azzam Tami, translator for the Sheikh, said he had been bewildered by how he had been treated.

He added: "He is really quite angry. He felt on the first of his visits when he allowed some journalists to interview him that he had been totally misrepresented"."

Qaradawi has been banned from entering the United States of America since 1999.

Qaradawi's boycott fatwa

On April 14th 2004 Qaradawi released a fatwa stating boycott of American and Israeli products was an obligation for all who are able. The fatwa reads:

"If people ask in the name of religion we must help them. The vehicle of this support is a complete boycott of the enemies' goods. Each riyal, dirham …etc. used to buy their goods eventually becomes bullets to be fired at the hearts of brothers and children in Palestine. For this reason, it is an obligation not to help them (the enemies of Islam) by buying their goods. To buy their goods is to support tyranny, oppression and aggression. Buying goods from them will strengthen them; our duty is to make them as weak as we can. Our obligation is to strengthen our resisting brothers in the Sacred Land as much as we can. If we cannot strengthen the brothers, we have a duty to make the enemy weak. If their weakness cannot be achieved except by boycott, we must boycott them.

American goods, exactly like “Israeli” goods, are forbidden. It is also forbidden to advertise these goods. America today is a second Israel. It totally supports the Zionist entity. The usurper could not do this without the support of America. “Israel’s” unjustified destruction and vandalism of everything has been using American money, American weapons, and the American veto. America has done this for decades without suffering the consequences of any punishment or protests about their oppressive and prejudiced position from the Islamic world."

Qaradawi's alleged fatwa calling for abduction and killing of Americans in Iraq

According to a translation, that has not been disputed, by the Middle East Media Research Institute MEMRI which cites Asharq Al-Awsat, Qaradawi issued a Fatwa following Operation Iraqi Freedom and the wave of insurgents attacks against coalition forces saying
"all of the Americans in Iraq are combatants, there is no difference between civilians and soldiers, and one should fight them, since the American civilians came to Iraq in order to serve the occupation. The abduction and killing of Americans in Iraq is a obligation so as to cause them to leave Iraq immediately. The mutilation of corpses *

He, however, denies this, having "disowned "that which was said in my name in the media on the subject of the killing of American civilians in Iraq":

"I have not published a Fatwa on this issue. At the Egyptian Journalists' Union a few days ago I was asked about the permissibility of fighting against the occupation in Iraq, and I answered that it is permitted. Afterwards I was asked concerning the American civilians in Iraq and I merely responded with the question – are there American civilians in Iraq? It is a matter of common knowledge that in Fatwas such as these I do not use the word "killing" but rather I say "struggle," which is a more comprehensive word than the word "killing" and whose meaning is not necessarily to kill. In addition, I have condemned the taking of hostages on a number of occasions in the past and have demanded that they be released and that their lives not be threatened." (MEMRI as above, citing al-Hayat)

This alleged Fatwa raised a wave of reactions. Certain Islamic scholars issued similar verdicts, while one Shaker an-Nabulsi called for the creation of a petition to the UN calling to put Qaradawi and his like on trial for incitement and support of terrorism. **

See also

Personalities

Fraternal groups and personalities

Groups also mentioned in relation

Islam-related topics

Notes

External links

Profile of Qaradawi

Transcript of Qaradawi show

Books by Qaradawi online

Sheikh al-Qaradawi's websites

Anti-Qaradawi opinions

Other resources

1926 births | Egyptian religious leaders | Living people

يوسف القرضاوي | Yusuf al-Qaradawi | Youssef Al-Qardaoui

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Yusuf al-Qaradawi".

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