A Profile of Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri
Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri was born in 1951 in the city of Jhang, Pakistan, hailing from a family of Islamic scholars and teachers. His formal religious education was initiated in Medina at the age of 12. During his stay in Medina, Shaykh-ul-Islam often visited Madrasa al-'Ulum al-Shar'iyya, a traditional school situated in the blessed house of the Companion of the Prophet Muhammad (blessings of Allah and peace be upon him), Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (may Allah be well pleased with him), opposite the Green Dome. He completed the traditional studies of classical and Arabic sciences under the tutelage of his father and other eminent scholars of the time. He continued to travel around the Islamic world in pursuit of sacred knowledge, and studied under many eminent scholars of Mecca, Medina, Syria, Baghdad, Lebanon, the Maghreb, India and Pakistan, and received around five hundred authorities and chains of transmission from them in hadith and classical Islamic and spiritual sciences. Amongst them is an unprecedented, unique and highly honoured chain of authority which connects him, through five teachers, to al-Ghawth al-A'zam al-Shaykh 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani (of Baghdad), al-Shaykh al-Akbar Muhyi al-Din b. 'Arabi—the author of al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya—(Damascus) and al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani, the great hadith authority of Egypt. Through another chain he is linked to Imam Yusuf b. Isma'il al-Nabhani directly via only one teacher. His chains of transmission are published in two of his thabts (detailed lists): al-Jawahir al-Bahira fi al-Asanid al-Tahira and al-Subul al-Wahabiyya fi al-Asanid al-Dhahabiyya.
Teaching and Authorship
In the academic sphere, Shaykh-ul-Islam received a First-Class Honours Degree from the University of the Punjab in 1970. After earning his MA in Islamic studies with University Gold Medal in 1972 and achieving his LLB in 1974, Shaykh-ul-Islam began to practise law in the district courts of Jhang. He moved to Lahore in 1978 and joined the University of the Punjab as a lecturer in law and completed his doctorate in Islamic Law. He was later appointed as a professor of Islamic Law and was head of the department of Islamic legislation for LLM.
Shaykh-ul-Islam was also a jurist advisor to the Federal Shariat Court and Appellate Shariah Bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and advisor on the development of Islamic Curricula to the Federal Ministry of Education. Within a short span of time, Shaykh-ul-Islam emerged as one of Pakistan's leading Islamic jurists and scholars and one of the world's most renowned and leading authorities on Islam. A prolific author, researcher and orator, Shaykh-ul-Islam has written around one thousand books, of which over six hundred and fifty have been published as of 2024; and has delivered over seven thousand lectures (in Urdu, English and Arabic) on a wide range of subjects.
In 2018, Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri launched his magnanimous Qur'anic Encyclopaedia. This encyclopaedia is the accumulation of his fifty-year long effort in studying the Qur'an and it comprises eight volumes consisting of around five thousand subjects. The subjects have been worded according to contemporary requirements and needs. From the encyclopaedia's unique features, one will find modern, scientific and philosophic subjects addressed. It is impossible to encompass all the subjects and topics that are discussed in the Qur'an. However, the Qur'anic Encyclopaedia, with its approximately five thousand subjects, is exhaustive and comprehensive in terms of contemporary needs and requirements. The last three volumes contain a comprehensive index of Qur'anic words. This index will facilitate in accessing the shoreless oceans of meaning in the Qur'an.
In the history of Qur'anic translations, translators have only translated the Qur'an into their mother tongue or national language, which would then be rendered into other languages. Shaykh-ul-Islam completed the Urdu translation of the Qur'an, i.e. 'Irfan al-Qur'an, in 2005. Later, in 2006, the English version of this Urdu translation was published with the title 'The Glorious Qur'an'. Available English translations of the Qur'an that existed in the market at that time consisted of pre-modern literary styles of English and not in the style of contemporary modern usage. In this regard, The Glorious Qur'an holds the distinction of being an outstanding contemporary English translation of the Qur'an. Then after 17 years since 'The Glorious Qur'an' was published, a new and modern translation was needed for the next generation of youths in the Western world in order to understand the meanings of the Qur'an. It was in light of this need that Shaykh-ul-Islam translated the Qur'an anew directly from its Arabic text in a modern linguistic style with the name The Manifest Qur'an. This is the first time that an exegete has attained the unprecedented honour of translating the Holy Qur'an into two languages, directly from its Arabic text. Furthermore, 'Irfan al-Qur'an has been published in Norwegian, Finnish, Greek, Danish, Hindi, Sindhi, Pashto, Bengali and Kashmiri. Translations of 'Irfan al-Qur'an into French and Gujarati are also currently underway. These translations reflect the lexical, grammatical, literary, scholarly, doctrinal and scientific characteristics of the divine discourse of the Holy Qur'an. In several aspects, they are more comprehensive and unique compared to other contemporary translations.
Shaykh-ul-Islam has successfully completed another remarkable chapter in the service of the Qur'an by authoring a grand Qur'anic exegesis in Arabic language, comprising 42 volumes. This unparalleled exegesis is prefaced by a comprehensive two-volume introduction titled al-Fath al-Kabir fi 'Ilm al-Tafsir, which represents a significant and unique contribution to the science of Qur'anic exegesis ('ilm al-tafsir). This introduction comprehensively covers the principles and foundational discussions of the Qur'anic sciences exegesis from every perspective, covering all relevant dimensions. Moreover, an entire volume is dedicated solely to the interpretation of Sura al-Fatiha.
The methodology of this exegesis follows the al-Ittijah al-Jami'i (comprehensive approach), integrating both tafsir bi'l-ma'thur (exegesis based on transmitted reports) and tafsir bi'l-ra'y (exegesis based on reasoning). It presents a profound synthesis of rational and traditional approaches, offering a balanced and comprehensive interpretive framework.
This tafsir will be published separately under the following distinct titles:
1. The complete comprehensive tafsir, titled Fawatih al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Qur'an [al-Tafsirat al-Qadiriyya]. This edition will span 25 volumes and will encompass multifaceted exegetical insights, addressing theological, jurisprudential, scientific, intellectual, theoretical and mystical aspects as needed. It represents a masterful synthesis of both rational and transmitted dimensions of tafsir.
2. al-Jawhar al-Naqi fi al-Tafsir al-Tarbawi: A 10-volume exegetical work that focuses on the educational aspects of each verse. It provides a concise yet insightful presentation of the Qur'an's reformative and educational themes.
3. Mukhtasar al-Bayan fi Ma'ani Ayat al-Qur'an: A 5-volume exegetical work dedicated to a detailed analysis of the meanings of the Qur'anic words, offering an in-depth linguistic and semantic exploration of the text.
This monumental work marks a significant advancement in the study of Qur'anic exegesis, providing scholars and readers alike with a diverse and enriched understanding of the divine message.
Undertaking such a massive and ground-breaking commentary, especially by a non-Arab, is truly remarkable. Scholars readily acknowledge the vast knowledge and expertise required to interpret the Qur'an. A proficient interpreter must possess mastery of Arabic grammar, thorough understanding of pre-Islamic poetry and comprehensive knowledge of various related sciences.
Shaykh-ul-Islam has undertaken a monumental work in the field of hadith sciences in Arabic titled al-Mawsu'a al-Qadiriyya fi al-'Ulum al-Hadithiyya (Encyclopaedia of Hadith Studies) in eight volumes. While works on this subject existed up to the time of Imam al-Sakhawi and Imam al-Suyuti, such extensive efforts were not made in the past two to three centuries. Now this encyclopaedia is an unparalleled gift for hadith-scholars, researchers, teachers, students and enthusiasts of hadith studies from every school of thought and intellectual tradition.
Establishment of Minhaj-ul-Quran International for the Revival of Religion and Welfare and Humanitarian Services
Shaykh-ul-Islam is also the founder and head of Minhaj-ul-Quran International (MQI), an organisation with branches and centres in more than ninety countries around the globe; he is the chairman of the Board of Governors of Minhaj University Lahore (MUL), which is chartered by the Government of Pakistan; he is the founder of Minhaj Education Society (MES), which has established more than 610 schools and colleges in Pakistan; and he is the chairman of Minhaj Welfare Foundation (MWF), an organisation involved in humanitarian and social welfare activities globally.
Development of a Structured System for the Self-Purification
Shaykh-ul-Islam has spent his life, in an indefatigable effort to counter religious extremism and promote peace and harmony between communities. His painstaking research into the Qur'an, hadith and classical Islamic authorities has resulted in landmark works, many published, and others soon to be published, demonstrating Islam as a religion that not only safeguards human rights, but promotes peace, tolerance and socioeconomic progress. He has travelled extensively to lecture at the invitation of government and non-government institutions and has organised and took part in international conferences in order to promote peace. He has arrayed spiritual and educational training programmes across the Western world with a focus on addressing the roots of religious extremism. He is recognised for his commitment to interfaith dialogue, with over 12,000 people attending his Peace for Humanity Conference in 2011, probably the largest interfaith gathering ever held in the UK, and which announced the London Declaration, a charter for world peace, signed online by a quarter of a million people. He has been politically active in his native Pakistan, organising massive pro-democracy and anti-corruption demonstrations. When not travelling, he is based in Canada, busy in his research activities and producing vital works of Islamic scholarship relevant to Muslims in this day and age.
Islamic Curriculum on Peace and Counter-Terrorism
In 2010, Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri issued his historic and world-renowned fatwa on the critical matter of suicide bombings and terrorism carried out in the name of Islam. It has been regarded as a significant and historic step—the first time that such an explicit and unequivocal decree against the perpetrators of terror has been broadcast so widely. The original fatwa written in Urdu comprises 600 pages of research and references from the Qur'an, hadith, the verdicts of the Companions (may Allah be well pleased with them) and the widely accepted classical texts of Islamic scholarship. This historic work has been published in English, Arabic, Norwegian, French, Malaysian, Bahasa Indonesia, Hindi, Sindhi, Persian, while translation in Danish, Spanish, Malayalam, Bengali, Turkish and other major languages is also in process. The Islamic Research Academy of Jamia al-Azhar Egypt wrote a detailed description of the fatwa and verified its contents. It gained worldwide media attention and acclaim as an indispensable tool in the intellectual and ideological struggle against violent extremism.
Through his participation in these international conferences and seminars, Shaykh-ul-Islam has played a significant role in promoting Islamic thought and values around the world. He has also been a strong advocate for peace and tolerance, and his work has helped to counter extremism and terrorism.