Yasir Qadhi

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 76.29.40.85 (talk) at 03:47, 3 February 2024 (Updated Youtube subscriber and view count). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Yasir Qadhi
Personal
Born (1975-01-30) January 30, 1975 (age 49)[1][2]
Houston, Texas
ReligionIslam
DenominationSunni[3]
JurisprudenceHanbali[4]
CreedAthari[3]
EducationYale University (MA, MPhil, PhD)
Islamic University of Madinah (BA, MA)
University of Houston (BS)
YouTube information
Channel
Years activeMay 23, 2012–present
GenreIslamic
Subscribers616 thousand[5]
Total views99.0 million[5]
Associated actsEpic Masjid
Memphis Islamic Center
100,000 subscribers
Muslim leader
Influenced by

Yasir Qadhi (formerly known by his kunya Abu Ammaar Yasir Qadhi) (born January 30, 1975)[6] is a Pakistani American theologian and Islamic scholar.[7] He is dean of The Islamic Seminary of America and resident scholar of the East Plano Islamic Center in Plano, Texas.[8] He was formerly the dean of AlMaghrib Institute and formerly taught in the Religious Studies department at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee.[9] He currently serves as the chairman of the Fiqh Council of North America.[10]

Born in Texas to parents who migrated to Pakistan from India after 1947, Qadhi studied Chemical Engineering at the University of Houston, before studying at the Islamic University of Medinah in Saudi Arabia. Qadhi has written books and lectured widely on Islam and contemporary Muslim issues.[11][12] A 2011 The New York Times Magazine essay by Andrea Elliott described Qadhi as "one of the most influential conservative clerics in American Islam."[13] Writing in 2017, journalist Graeme Wood called him "one of the two most prominent Muslim scholars in the United States today."[14] He has also consistently been listed in The 500 Most Influential Muslims, most recently in 2022.[15] He has nevertheless been criticised for his views on women, and for defending high-profile Al-Qaeda supporters and the Taliban.[16][17]

Qadhi was previously affiliated with the Salafi movement but has since left the movement and now only identifies himself as belonging to the "Post-Salafist" movement.[18]

Early years

Qadhi was born in Houston, Texas to Pakistani, Muhajir parents.[19] His father, a doctor by profession, founded the first mosque in the area, while his mother is a microbiologist, both from Karachi in Pakistan and whose ancestral homeland is Uttar Pradesh in India.[19] When he was five, the family moved to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where he attended local schools. By 15 he had memorized the Qur'an and graduated from high school two years early as class valedictorian.[13] He returned to the United States, where he earned a B.Sc in Chemical Engineering at the University of Houston.[11]

Professional career

After a short stint working in engineering at Dow Chemical, in 1996 Qadhi enrolled at the Islamic University of Medinah in Medina, Saudi Arabia. There, he earned a bachelor's degree in Arabic from the university's College of Hadith and Islamic Sciences and a master's degree in Islamic Theology from its College of Dawah.[11][12][20] Qadhi returned to the United States after working and studying for nine years in Saudi Arabia.[20] He completed a doctorate in theology at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.[11][12]

Qadhi taught in the Religious Studies Department of Rhodes College, in Memphis, Tennessee. He previously was the Dean of Academic Affairs and an instructor for the AlMaghrib Institute,[12] a seminar-based Islamic education institution founded in 2001. The instructors travel to teach Islamic studies in English. He moved to the Dallas metropolitan area in early 2019, becoming the resident scholar of the East Plano Islamic Center. He is the Dean of Academic Affairs at The Islamic Seminary of America.[21]


Qadhi was a guest on an episode of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates's television genealogy series Finding Your Roots on PBS.[1]

Views

Jihad

Qadhi has presented papers on jihad movements. In 2006, at a conference at Harvard Law School, Qadhi presented a 15-minute analysis of the theological underpinnings of an early militant movement in modern Saudi Arabia headed by Juhayman al-Otaibi. The movement had gained international attention when it held the Grand Mosque of Mecca hostage in 1979.[22]

In September 2009, he presented a paper at an international conference at the University of Edinburgh on understanding jihad in the modern world. He said the specific legal ruling (fatwā) of the 13–14th century theologian Ibn Taymiyya on the Mongol Empire has been wrongfully used in the 20th and 21st centuries by both jihadist and pacifist groups to justify their positions.[23][24] The paper has been critiqued by some Salafi commentators, who say that they in fact did not revise the definition of Jihad.[25]

Sufism and veneration of the saints

Qadhi believes that the practice of some Sufi Muslims visiting the graves of Sufi saints and calling upon Muhammad and calling upon them for help or guidance is not shirk (polytheism) but said it is haram, sinful, an evil innovation, and called it a stepping stone and gateway to shirk but not shirk in and of itself. Qadhi has also stated that these Muslims should still be regarded as Muslims, though misguided. He believes that questioning whether veneration of Sufi saints at gravesites can be called shirk is highly problematic because that would mean accusing many Muslim scholars who hold affirmative views towards it of committing shirk and being out of the fold of Islam. [26] He has said it is not shirk in and of itself unless they believe they are calling out to a god, intend to worship or believe in the saints to have independent powers in and of themselves. He also believed that Sufi Muslims that participate in the practice do not believe in the saints to be gods and don't intend it to be worship when calling upon them nor believe they have independent powers.[26]

Views on social issues

Yasir Qadhi has criticized progressive Muslims who interpret Islamic law as supporting homosexual relations, saying these teachings contain "very little Islam".[27]

In regards to religious liberties, Qadhi believes that Islamic teachings don't support or require that Muslim business owners discriminate or refuse service to LGBTQ individuals. Nonetheless, Qadhi expresses concern that Islamic institutions may face issues if they speak in a vulgar manner and employ or fire employees that don't conform to conservative beliefs regarding sexual behaviors.[27]

Death threat by Islamic State of Iraq and the Syria

In the April 2016 issue of Dabiq Magazine, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant declared Qadhi, along with Hamza Yusuf, Bilal Philips, Suhaib Webb and numerous other Western Islamic speakers, as murtads (or apostates). He was threatened to be killed for denouncing ISIS.[28]

Controversies

In January 2010, the British The Daily Telegraph reported that in 2001 Qadhi had described the Holocaust as a hoax and false propaganda, and had said that "Hitler never intended to mass-destroy the Jews."[29][30] The following year The New York Times said he said that most Islamic studies professors in the United States are Jews who "want to destroy us."[13]

Qadhi denied stating that the Holocaust was a hoax or that it was false propaganda, but in 2008 admitted that he had briefly held mistaken beliefs about the Holocaust, and had said "that Hitler never actually intended to massacre the Jews, he actually wanted to expel them to neighboring lands." Qadhi said that his views were wrong and said "I admit it was an error".[31] Qadhi added that he firmly believes "that the Holocaust was one of the worst crimes against humanity that the 20th century has witnessed" and that "the systematic dehumanization of the Jews in the public eye of the Germans was a necessary precursor" for that tragedy.[31] More generally, he said that he "fell down a slippery slope", expressing anger at actions of the Israeli government in the form of anti-Semitic remarks he later recognized as wrong.[13]

In July 2010, Qadhi was selected to participate in an official delegation of eight U.S. imams and Jewish religious leaders to visit the concentration camps at Auschwitz and Dachau. The imams subsequently released a joint statement condemning anti-Semitism and labeling Holocaust denial as against the ethics of Islam.[32]

The Times newspaper reported that British Charity Commission regulators contacted three Islamic charities about Qadhi's 2015 tour, where he allegedly made controversial comments and told students that "killing homosexuals and stoning adulterers was part of their religion." He also clarified to them that these punishments were only applicable in an Islamic society and were not to be applied in the West.[33][34]

Works

Books authored or co-authored
Title Description
Riyaa: Hidden Shirk Dar-al-Fatah, 1996
An Introduction to the Sciences of the Qura̓an Al-Hidaayah Pub., 1999, ISBN 1-898649-32-4
An Explanation of the Four Principles of Shirk Muḥammad ibn ʻAbd al-Wahhāb, Al-Hidaayah, 2000, ISBN 1-898649-52-9
Du'a : The Weapon of the Believer Al Hidaayah Publishing & Distribution, 2001, ISBN 1-898649-51-0
15 Ways to Increase Your Earnings from the Quran and Sunnah Al Hidaayah Publishing & Distribution, 2002, ISBN 1-898649-56-1
An explanation of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab's Kashf al-Shubuhat A critical analysis of shirk, with Muḥammad ibn ʻAbd al-Wahhāb, Al-Hidaayah, 2003, ISBN 1-898649-62-6
Maqalat al-Jahm b. Safwan wa-atharuha fıl-firaq al-Islamiyya The Doctrines of Jahm b. Safwan and Its Effects on Islamic Sects,

2 vols. Riyad: Adwa al-salaf, 2005.

Like a Garment: Intimacy in Islam Independently published (March 4, 2019), ISBN 978-1798705247
Seerah of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) Independently published (May 7, 2019), (length: 776 pages) ISBN 978-1099278389
Lessons from Surah al-Kahf (Pearls from the Qur'an) Kube Publishing Ltd. (March 10, 2020), ISBN 978-1847741318
Lessons from Surah Yusuf (Pearls from the Qur'an) Kube Publishing Ltd. (November 3, 2020), ISBN 978-1847741370
Reflections: Personal Insights From Shaykh Dr. Yasir Qadhi Al-Buruj Press (February 17, 2021), ISBN 978-9672420651
The Miracle of the Qur'an Tertib Publishing (March 1, 2021)
The Power of Repentance Tertib Publishing (March 9, 2021)
The Parables of the Qur'an Kube Publishing Ltd. (March 12, 2022), ISBN 978-1847741790
The Sīrah of the Prophet: A Contemporary and Original Analysis Kube Publishing Ltd. (June 15, 2023), ISBN 978-0860378785

Research papers

Translations

  • Sunan Abu Dawud - first 2 volumes

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Profile: "Yasir Qadhi" Archived 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine, Finding Your Roots, PBS
  2. ^ Gates, Henry Louis Jr. (September 15, 2014). Finding Your Roots: The Official Companion to the PBS Series. UNC Press Books. ISBN 9781469618012.
  3. ^ a b "On Salafi Islam [With New Video Lecture]". MuslimMatters. April 22, 2014. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  4. ^ To Wipe or Not to Wipe: Masah Over Socks? | Ask Shaykh YQ #34, retrieved December 23, 2023
  5. ^ a b "About Yasir Qadhi". YouTube.
  6. ^ "Rhodes College | Faculty & Staff". Archived from the original on August 12, 2011. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
  7. ^ "Yasir Qadhi". Finding Your Roots. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  8. ^ "About Us – The Islamic Seminary of America". Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  9. ^ "Yasir Qadhi". Princeton University Public Lectures. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  10. ^ "What Is The Fiqh Council of North America?". Fiqh Council of North America. Archived from the original on August 5, 2023. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
  11. ^ a b c d Dooley, Tara (October 8, 2005). "A Changing World; American and Muslim; Islamic scholar, a Houston native, brings cultural insight to lectures on his religion". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Retrieved February 2, 2010.
  12. ^ a b c d Murphy, Caryle (September 5, 2006). "For Conservative Muslims, Goal of Isolation a Challenge". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved February 2, 2010.
  13. ^ a b c d Elliott, Andrea (April 17, 2011). "Why Yasir Qadhi Wants to Talk About Jihad" Archived 2013-04-27 at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times.
  14. ^ Wood, Graeme (2016). "The War of the End of Time". The Way of the Strangers: Encounters with the Islamic State. Random House. p. 214. ISBN 9780812988765.
  15. ^ : "The 500 Most Influential Muslims in the World" 2022.
  16. ^ "Why this Imam in Texas is so furious at women fighting for freedom in Iran?". October 10, 2022.
  17. ^ Taliban Apologist Yasir Qadhi Headlines ICNA Dinner
  18. ^ Fouad, Khadija (2016). American Muslim Undergraduates Views On Evolution (PhD). Indiana University. p. 14.
  19. ^ a b Elliott, Andrea (March 17, 2011). "Why Yasir Qadhi Wants to Talk About Jihad". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 8, 2016. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
  20. ^ a b O’Leary, Mary E. (January 4, 2009). "An American Muslim envisions a new kind of learning". New Haven Register. Archived from the original on September 11, 2017. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  21. ^ "Administration and Staff – the Islamic Seminary of America".
  22. ^ ""V International Conference on Islamic Legal Studies; "Lawful and Unlawful Violence in Islamic Law and History", Islamic Legal Studies Program". Harvard Law School. Archived from the original on January 21, 2010. Retrieved January 5, 2010.
  23. ^ "YouTube". www.youtube.com. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  24. ^ "Rethinking Jihad: Ideas, Politics and Conflict in the Arab World & Beyond; Programme". University of Edinburgh. Archived from the original on May 28, 2009. Retrieved January 5, 2010.
  25. ^ "Did Modern Salafi Scholars Invent the Notion of 'Istihlal'? A Critique of Yasir Qadhi's Paper" Archived 2010-12-06 at the Wayback Machine, Salafimanhaj
  26. ^ a b Shaykh Dr. Yasir Qadhi | Q&A | is invoking saints shirk, charity as tax deductions?, retrieved January 27, 2022
  27. ^ a b Uddin, Asma T. (March 26, 2021). "Muslim America is Not a Monolith". Literary Hub. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  28. ^ Goodsteinmay 8, 2016, Laurie (May 8, 2016). "Muslim Leaders Wage Theological Battle, Stoking ISIS' Anger". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 12, 2016. Retrieved July 7, 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  29. ^ Sawer, Patrick (January 2, 2010). "Detroit bomber's mentor continues to influence British mosques and universities". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on January 5, 2010. Retrieved February 1, 2010.
  30. ^ "YQ1".
  31. ^ a b Qadhi, Yasir (November 10, 2008). "GPU '08 with Yasir Qadhi: When Islamophobia Meets Perceived Anti-Semitism". Archived from the original on December 25, 2009. Retrieved January 4, 2010.
  32. ^ "U.S. Muslim group denounces 'historic injustice of the Holocaust'". CNN. Archived from the original on August 22, 2010. Retrieved August 23, 2010.
  33. ^ Kennedy, Dominic (April 11, 2017). "Hardline cleric is invited to UK by Islamic charity for fundraising tour". The Times. Archived from the original on January 2, 2018. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
  34. ^ Kay, Liam (April 11, 2017). "Regulator contacts three Islamic charities about Yasir Qadhi tours". Third Sector. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Yasir_Qadhi&oldid=1202605185"