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Yasir Qadhi

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Yasir Qadhi
Qadhi in 2018
Personal life
Born (1975-01-30) January 30, 1975 (age 49)[1]
Houston, Texas, USA
EducationYale University (MA, MPhil, PhD)
Islamic University of Madinah (BA, MA)
University of Houston (BS)
Religious life
ReligionIslam
DenominationSunni[2]
JurisprudenceHanbali[3]
CreedAthari[2]
MovementNeo-traditionalism[4] or Wasatism[5][6]
Muslim leader
Influenced by
YouTube information
Channel
Years activeMay 23, 2012–present
GenreIslamic
Subscribers668 thousand[7]
Total views110 million[7]
Associated actsEpic Masjid
Memphis Islamic Center
100,000 subscribers

Yasir Qadhi (formerly known by his kunya Abu Ammaar Yasir Qadhi) (born January 30, 1975) is a Pakistani American Muslim scholar and theologian.[8] He is dean of The Islamic Seminary of America and resident scholar of the East Plano Islamic Center in Plano, Texas.[9] He was formerly the dean of AlMaghrib Institute and taught in the religious studies department at Rhodes College.[10] He currently serves as chairman of the Fiqh Council of North America.[11]

Born in Texas to Pakistani Muhajir parents, Qadhi studied chemical engineering at the University of Houston, before studying Hadith and Islamic theology at the Islamic University of Madinah in Saudi Arabia.[8] He earned his PhD from Yale University where his dissertation focused on the writings of Ibn Taymiyyah.[12] Qadhi has written books and lectured widely on Islam and contemporary Muslim issues, and is considered one of the most influential Muslim scholars in the United States.[12] He has also consistently been listed in the annual listicle The 500 Most Influential Muslims.[13]

Qadhi was previously affiliated with Salafism, but has since left it.[14] He now identifies himself as a Wasatist[5] and has been described as such.[4][6]

Early years

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Qadhi was born in Houston, Texas to Pakistani Muhajir parents.[15] 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.[15] 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.[16] He returned to the United States, where he earned a B.Sc in Chemical Engineering at the University of Houston.[17]

Professional career

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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.[17][18][19] Qadhi returned to the United States after working and studying for nine years in Saudi Arabia.[19] He completed a doctorate in theology at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.[17][18]

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,[18] 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.[20]

Qadhi was a guest on an episode of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates's television genealogy series Finding Your Roots on PBS.[21]

Views

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Jihad

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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 (fatwa) 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

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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.[26] Qadhi has also stated that these Muslims should still be regarded as Muslims, though misguided.[26] 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.[26] He has also stated 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 do they believe that the saints are giving assistance to them completely independently from God.[26]

Views on social issues

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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

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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, that is, apostates or blasphemers.[28] He was threatened with death for his denouncing of ISIS.[28]

Controversies

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Some of his statements have been controversial, including comments in a speech in 2001 questioning Hitler's motives in the Holocaust. He later stated that he regretted those comments and visited the Auschwitz concentration camp with a delegation of Muslim leaders.[15]

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 reported he said that most Islamic studies professors in the United States are Jews who "want to destroy us."[16]

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.[16]

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]

On June 8, 2020, Qadhi was interviewed by Muslim apologist Mohammed Hijab, where he was asked about the "perfect preservation of the Qur'an," a popular Islamic apologetical argument, in light of different Qira'at and Ahruf. During the interview, Qadhi said, "The standard narrative has holes in it. That's what I'm gonna say. The standard narrative does not answer some very pressing questions."[35][36] His comments became fodder for Christian polemicists, becoming an Internet meme, and prompted negative reactions from Muslim scholars and proselytizers, leading Qadhi to private the video on his YouTube channel.

Qadhi has since clarified in a video uploaded to the EPIC (East Plano Islamic Center) Masjid's YouTube channel that his statements were referring to the preservation of the Qira'at and Ahruf themselves rather than the preservation of the Qur'an. Qadhi reiterated that disbelief in the perfect preservation of the Qur'an is considered "kufr"; disbelief in Islam itself.[37]

In an April 2024 interview, Harvard University Islamic studies PhD candidate Javad T. Hashmi joked that he considered naming his lecture on the preservation of the Qur'an, as part of a course taught alongside New Testament scholar Bart D. Ehrman, "Holes in the Narrative," as a reference to Qadhi's controversial comments.[38]

Works

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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

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Translations

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  • Sunan Abu Dawud - first 2 volumes

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Gates, Henry Louis Jr. (September 15, 2014). Finding Your Roots: The Official Companion to the PBS Series. UNC Press Books. ISBN 9781469618012.
  2. ^ a b "On Salafi Islam [With New Video Lecture]". MuslimMatters. April 22, 2014. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  3. ^ To Wipe or Not to Wipe: Masah Over Socks? | Ask Shaykh YQ #34, retrieved December 23, 2023
  4. ^ a b Modern Islamic Authority and Social Change, Volume 2: Evolving Debates in the West. Edinburgh University Press. 2018. doi:10.3366/j.ctv7n09q1. ISBN 978-1-4744-3326-6.
  5. ^ a b Qadhi, Yasir (2023). Contemporary Issues in the Muslim Ummah: Modern Muslim Movements. The Islamic Seminary of America (TISA)
  6. ^ a b Modern Islamic Authority and Social Change, Volume 1: Evolving Debates in Muslim Majority Countries. Edinburgh University Press. 2018. doi:10.3366/j.ctv7n0978. ISBN 978-1-4744-3322-8.
  7. ^ a b "About Yasir Qadhi". YouTube.
  8. ^ a b "Yasir Qadhi". Finding Your Roots. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  9. ^ "Yasir Qadhi". Al Jazeera. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  10. ^ "Yasir Qadhi". Princeton University Public Lectures. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  11. ^ "About". Fiqh Council of North America. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  12. ^ a b Bano, Masooda (March 7, 2018). "Yasir Qadhi and the Development of Reasonable Salafism". Modern Islamic Authority and Social Change, Volume 2: Evolving Debates in the West. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 978-1-4744-3328-0.
  13. ^ "Yasir Qadhi". The Muslim 500. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  14. ^ Fouad, Khadija (2016). American Muslim Undergraduates Views On Evolution (PhD). Indiana University. p. 14.
  15. ^ a b c Elliott, Andrea (March 17, 2011). "Why Yasir Qadhi Wants to Talk About Jihad". The New York Times Magazine. Archived from the original on March 8, 2016. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
  16. ^ a b c 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.
  17. ^ a b c 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.
  18. ^ a b c 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.
  19. ^ 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.
  20. ^ "Administration and Staff – the Islamic Seminary of America".
  21. ^ Profile: "Yasir Qadhi" Archived 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine, Finding Your Roots, PBS
  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 c d e 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. ^ a b 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.
  35. ^ Qadhi, Yasir (June 8, 2020). "In the Hot Seat: Muḥammad Hijāb Interviews Dr. Yasir Qadhi". YouTube. Event occurs at 1:26:50. Archived from the original on June 26, 2020. Retrieved June 8, 2024. The video has since been privated.
  36. ^ Qadhi, Yasir. "In the Hot Seat: Muḥammad Hijāb Interviews Dr. Yasir Qadhi – S07E150". AccidentalMuslims.com (Podcast). Event occurs at 1:26:50. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  37. ^ Qadhi, Yasir. "Clearing Up The Misconceptions | Shaykh Dr. Yasir Qadhi Interviewed By Imam Ibrahim Bakeer". YouTube.
  38. ^ "Bart D. Ehrman and Javad Hashmi: Comparing the Historical Problems in the Qur'an and the Bible". YouTube. April 12, 2024. Event occurs at 22:24. Retrieved June 8, 2024. Our first lecture is going to be on the quranic preservation; in fact, I wanted to call it 'Holes in the Narrative'—that's a very famous meme, as you know, online.
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