Islamic Curriculum on Peace and Counter Terrorism

The Launch of

MInHAJ-ul-QurAn InternAtIonAl

contents

1 Welcome 22 An Introduction to Islamic curriculum on Peace

& counter-terrorism3

3 contents of Islamic curriculum on Peace & counter-terrorism

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4 course Books 155 FAtWA on terrorism & suicide Bombings 176 Biography of shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad

tahir-ul-Qadri18

7 Introduction to Minhaj-ul-Quran International 218 Minhaj-ul-Quran - some Highlights 229 Forthcoming events 23

We welcome you to the auspicious launch of the Curriculum on Peace & Counter terrorism, a project of Minhaj-ul-Qu-ran International UK. This curriculum has been compiled under the close supervision and guidance of Shaykh-ul-Is-lam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, founder and leader of Minhaj-ul-Quran and the most renowned and globally rec-ognised Islamic authority of this age.

The curriculum is a detailed syllabus that provides authen-tic and exhaustive material to form the basis of educational programmes and campaigns against religious extremism and radicalisation, and for the promotion of peace. It is aimed at imams, teachers (of religion), and young people - essentially people at the coalface of the problem, who can either make a material difference in tackling the problem, or are themselves the potential victims of the radicalisation process.

Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri himself will be delivering the keynote speech to explain the work in detail, along with speakers from the political, academic and religious fields. We are grateful for the endorsements we have received from many organisations, along with imams, clerics, and figures in the political and educational fields. We trust you will find this event both stimulating and informative, and will support this effort by Minhaj-ul-Quran to help combat the scourges of extremism and terrorism.

WelcoMe

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IslAMIc currIculuM onPeAce & counter-terrorIsMIntroDuctIon

Terrorism and the spotlight on Muslims

It is an unfortunate fact that through the actions of a minority, Islam and Muslims have become closely associated with ter-rorism, and indeed almost synonymous with the term. This is a certainly a prob-lem for the vast majority of law abiding Muslims themselves who feel their re-ligion has been tarnished by the actions of a few, but the issue has put Muslim citizens or residents of Western countries under increased scrutiny, with questions being raised about identity, multicultural-ism, and loyalty to the state. Many British people, as one prominent UK politician has controversially suggested, suspect that at least some sections of the Muslim community are a fth column in their midst. All these have major implications for community relations and cohesion.

The emergence of ISIS and fears of radicalisation of young Muslims

One alarming development throwing these issues into the spotlight has been the emergence of ISIS, a particularly brutal and bloodthirsty incarnation of Islamic extremism, and what appears to be a growing number of young Muslims, citizens of Western countries, travelling to the Middle East to join the organisa-tion. Muslims travelling abroad to ght

what they see as Jihad is not entirely a new phenomenon, but the brutal violence and beheadings commit-ted by British citizens with a bla-tant disregard for human values has certainly heightened public awareness of Muslims and the issue of extremism.

The three London schoolgirls captured on CCTV foot-age travelling to the Mid-dle East to become jihadi brides became emblematic of the way many young people, seemingly bright and from stable homes, have been lured to join groups such as ISIS, feeling a new sense of purpose in their trav-els to distant lands that are a far cry from the comforts of the Western world they once called home. It is clear from these examples that young Brit-ish people are being radicalised under the very noses of their oblivious families, friends, teachers and mosque imams.

what they see as Jihad is not entirely a new phenomenon, but the brutal violence and beheadings commit-ted by British citizens with a bla-tant disregard for human values has certainly heightened public awareness of Muslims and the issue of extremism.

The three London schoolgirls captured on CCTV foot-age travelling to the Mid-dle East to become jihadi brides became emblematic of the way many young people, seemingly bright and from stable homes, have been lured to join groups such as ISIS, feeling a new sense of purpose in their trav-els to distant lands that are a far cry from the comforts of the Western world they once called home. It is clear from these examples that young Brit-ish people are being radicalised under the very noses of their oblivious families, friends, teachers and mosque

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Not only are the lives of families devastat-ed by these youngsters, but there remains a fear that on returning, some of these young people are a potential threat to se-curity, that even if they are not actively

being sent back as sleeper terrorists, they have

become even more radicalised while abroad, and along with an enhanced grievance against their former govern-ments, they have developed skills and training to potentiate their danger.

Tackling the roots

There has been a lot of debate about the causes of radicalisation in young peo-ple, and successive governments have tried with questionable success, through well-funded initiatives and projects, to tackle the problem. The outcomes of these measures remains unclear, and the question remains whether these schemes have clearly been able to identify the un-derlying roots of the problem and if they are equipped with the necessary tools and knowhow to help eradicate the problem. What is clear is that the underlying causes of radicalisation are multifold and there-fore the solution has to be multipronged

and all sec-t i o n s of so-c i e t y n e e d to play

their part in tack-

ling the issues, both Muslim and non-Muslim.

curity, that even if they are not actively

being

Tackling the roots

There has been a lot of debate about the causes of radicalisation in young peo-ple, and successive governments have tried with questionable success, through well-funded initiatives and projects, to tackle the problem. The outcomes of these measures remains unclear, and the question remains whether these schemes have clearly been able to identify the un-derlying roots of the problem and if they are equipped with the necessary tools and knowhow to help eradicate the problem. What is clear is that the underlying causes of radicalisation are multifold and there-fore the solution has to be multipronged

and all sec-t i o n s of so-c i e t y n e e d to play

their part in tack-

ling the issues, both Muslim and non-Muslim.

4

Whose responsibility?

The vast majority of Muslims are peace-ful and law abiding citizens who make a signi cant economic, cultural and politi-cal contributions to Britain, and who also endeavour in the most part to counter extremist narratives, there remains a feel-ing among a minority perhaps that the ultimate responsibility for dealing with the problem of radicalisation lies with the government and its agencies and security services. This is in our view a negation of responsibility, for surely par-ents, imams and religious teachers must be key play-ers in the struggle against radicalisation, particularly as the method used by those who radicalise involves presenting Islamic teachings in a distorted way, or employing clichs masquerading as authentic Islamic teachings.

Recognising & countering radicalisa-tion

It is surely the Imams of the community, the religious teachers, clerics and parents whose care children are entrusted under, and it is they who must be ultimately re-sponsible for nurturing and education children to ensure they are immunised against the propaganda by so-called scholars or preachers they may come across, whether in their educational in-stitutes, mosques, clubs and societies, in-

formal networks of friends or whether online on social media. It is however a cause for concern that many sections or members of the Muslim community, let alone non-Muslims, often seem to have a poor understanding of the signs of radical ideology, and how to counter radical ideas with evidence-based argu-ment from the Quran and Sunnah, the primary sources of knowledge and laws of Islam, and classical scholarship. This

is the reason any strategy to effective-ly deal with the prob-lem needs to focus on p r o v i d i n g a w a r e n e s s

not only to the young people, but also to imams, religious teachers and par-ents.

On the other side of the coin, it is not an exaggeration to say that most young Muslims have a very poor understand-ing of their religion, the methodology of interpretation, the contextualisation of passages from the Quran or Hadith, the formulation of laws, and indeed no knowledge of Arabic, the working lan-guage of law-making in Islam, sciences which have been laid down by gener-ations of traditional Islamic scholars. Any person who is able to quote any scriptural references to a nave young person in Arabic will be given dispro-portionate signi cance, which, added to other factors, can lead towards the path of misguidance and vulnerability

Parents, imams and religious teachers must be key players in the struggle against radicalisation

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to radicalisation.

The Fatwa and its aftermath

In 2010, Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhm-mad Tahir-ul-Qadri authored and pub-lished his famous Fatwa against Terror-ism and Suicide Bombings. This shot to worldwide fame and indeed it was recognised as a landmark work, which for the rst time not only condemned terrorist attacks and suicide bombings, but ensured that Muslim Scholars, and ordinary Muslims, who had previously demonstrated some ambivalence to-wards the violence committed in the name of their religion, or who quali ed their condemnations with ifs and buts, or semi-justi cations, were able to get conceptual clarity on the issue. Accord-ing to the Fatwa, there is never any jus-ti cation for acts of terrorism, and no amount of good intention (from the perspective of a terrorist) can justify illegal activities that are condemned by Islam. Contained within this work was meticulous detail and references that put any notion of justi cation, whether foreign policy ventures, political oppres-sion or anything else, beyond dispute.

It is however unfortunate indeed that no individual, no organisation, wheth-er Muslim or non-Muslim, was able to capitalise on this immensely substantial work and use it, or adapt it, to use as the basis of any educational programme or activities to work with young people, nor to educate the educators, the imams and religious teachers, towards tackling the problem of religious extremism

or radicalisation. Dr Qadri has ultimate-ly been able to ful l this need and has produced the Curriculum for Peace and Counter Terrorism.

Theological and ideological justi ca-tions

It should be said here that among the many causes of radicalisation and ter-rorism the role of theology cannot be understated. Some people, unfortunately through either genuine ignorance or for other less genuine reasons, try to de ect the blame for religious radicalisation en-tirely to foreign policy and military ven-tures in the Middle East and elsewhere. While these issues no doubt play a signif-icant role in the process of radicalisation, too often the theologically-based narra-tives which underpin the ideology of the extremists are downplayed or underesti-mated. Radical ideology depends upon a framework of (distorted) theological reference points and scriptural justi ca-tions. It is here that appropriate interven-tion can bear fruit. It is important for all stakeholders concerned with the tackling the problem to be aware of the ideologi-cal, theological and scriptural foundations of extremism and the terrible and violent acts it spawns. Challenging the narratives and belief structures of with proper Is-lamic principles and validated interpreta-tions of scripture must be incorporated into any method if it is to be effective.

The Islamic Curriculum on Peace and Counter-terrorism

It is with this in mind that the Islamic

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Curriculum on Peace and Counter-ter-rorism has been prepared. It has been compiled under the close personal super-vision and guidance of Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri. It is separated into two volumes, one meant for young people and students, and the other for Imams, clerics and teachers, although much of the material overlaps.

As the reader will see when studying the full texts, the headings describe the main theological themes relevant to challeng-ing radical belief, and each heading is fol-lowed by an extensive list of references from the Quran, hadith and other texts and resources

containing relevant material. In order to increase its content and scope, but keep it to a reasonable length, only the ref-erences rather than textual quotes have been included. Some explanatory text and scriptural quotes have been includ-ed in some parts where needed.

Among the references are included a number of books by Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri that have been published for the pur-poses of being accompanying course books to the curriculum.

The curriculum is to be used as the ba-sis for educating and training imams,

clerics, teachers and young people on the broad array of ideologi-cal and theological principles that underpin radicalisation and what the true Islamic teachings are on each subject. It is hoped that that courses can be developed for people in these target audienc-es. Minhaj-ul-Quran has already developed teams of people and materials to deliver talks at school assemblies and hold workshops at universities countrywide, and a schedule for these is included else-where in this booklet. 50 young activists have already been under-going training to propagate the programme. We pray and hope you will whole-heartedly support this crucial project to eradicate this plague of extremism, which is devastating families and communities, causing divisions and disharmony, and to help bring peace to society and the world.

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IslAMIc currIculuM onPeAce & counter-terrorIsMtHe contents

1. The Meaning of Islam 2. Islam is the Faith of Peace and Security3. There is No Compulsion in Islam 4. The Three Grades of Islam: Islm, mn and Isn5. Definition of a Muslim and Mumin 5.1 Definition and Signs of a Muslim 5.2 Definition and Signs of a Believer 6. Rights of Muslims upon Muslims 7. The Prohibition of Killing Muslims 8. Respecting a Muslims Life and Property 9. Killing Muslims and Creating Anarchy and Disorder is Forbidden and the Punishment of Killing and Harming Muslims 9.1 Creating Anarchy and Disorder is Forbidden Together with Terrorism 9.2 Killing a Person is Tantamount to Disbelief (Kufr) 9.3 Spilling Blood is the Most Serious of All Crimes 9.4 Those who Burn Muslims (through Bombs or Other Means) are Dwellers of Hell10. Suicide is a Forbidden (arm) Act 11. The Rights of Non-Muslim Citizens in a Muslim State 11.1 The Prohibition of the indiscriminate Killing of Non-Muslims and Harming them 11.2 Protection of the Life, Property, Honour and Respect of Non-Muslims is one of the Most Important Responsibilities of a Muslim State

This list of the complete contents of the Islamic Curriculum on Peace & Counter-terrorism provides a skeletal overview of the work. Under each of the headings, the curriculum provides a comprehensive list of references from authentic and authoritative sources. In addition, there are references from various works of Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri himself, which had been produced especially as course materials.

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11.3 The Prohibition of Killing Non-Muslim Women, Children, Elderly and Priests 11.4 The Prohibition of Killing Diplomats, Farmers, Traders and Non-Combatants 11.5 Monetary Assistance to Non-Muslim Elderly and Weak 11.6 Freedom of Religion and Beliefs for Non-Muslims 11.7 Economic Freedom for Non-Muslim Citizens 11.8 Rights of Non-Muslims to State Welfare 11.9 Freedom to Earn a Living 11.10 Right to Social and Cultural Freedom 11.11 Right to Confidentiality 11.12 Justice for Non-Muslims in all Rulings andDecisions 11.13 Good Conduct and Righteous Behaviour with Non-Muslims 11.14 The Prohibition of Humiliating Non-Muslims 11.15 Safe-guarding Non-Muslim Citizens from Internal and External Aggression 11.16 Exemption of Serving in the Armed Forces 11.17 Rights of the Prisoners of War 11.18 Patient and Non-Retaliatory Conduct with Non-Muslims 11.19 Fulfilling Pacts or Treaties with Non-Muslims 11.20 Overview of the Basic Rights of Non-Muslims in a Muslim State12. Islamic Concept of Peace13. Islamic Law and the Importance of Establishing Peace 13.1 Emphasis upon Establishing Peace 13.2 Emphasis upon Softness in Social Conduct 13.3 Prohibition of Arrogance and Pride 13.4 Prohibition of Anger in Conduct 13.5 Lack of Peace and the Punishment for Murder 13.6 Wisdom behind the Law of Qi (Retribution)14. Dimensions of Establishing Peace 14.1 Individual Dimension of Establishing Peace: Emphasis upon Good Etiquettes 14.2 Social Dimension of Establishing Peace 14.2.1 Sanctity of Human Rights 14.2.2 Mutual Contact between Muslims

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14.2.3 Mutual Cooperation to Establish Peace 14.2.4 Contact with Relatives to Establish Peace 14.2.5 Good Conduct with Weak People in Society 14.2.6 Caring for Orphans 14.2.7 Respecting Rights of Subordinates 14.2.8 Helping the Oppressed 14.3 National Dimension of Establishing Peace: Condemn-ing those who cause Disruption and Chaos 14.4 International Dimension to Establishing Peace 14.4.1 Good Conduct with Mankind 14.4.2 Ruling on Peaceful Ties with other Countries 14.4.3 Islams International Cooperation15. The Holy Prophet s as a Messenger of Mercy 16. Interfaith Harmony 17. Intra-Faith Harmony 18. First Charter of Human Right: Khu>ba ajja al-Wid 18.1 Khu>ba ajja al-Wid Islamic World Order 18.2 Khu>ba ajja al-Wid Important Step towards Establishing Peace19. Constitutional Principles of a Muslim State 19.1 Constitutional Principles according to the Qurn 19.2 Constitutional Principles in the Hadith 19.3 Constitutional Aspect of the Sra 20. Constitutional and Political Analysis of the Constitution of Madina21. Rule of Law 22. Islamic Concept of virtue 23. Islamic Concept of Jihad 23.1 Meaning of Jihad 23.2 Every Virtuous Act is Jihad 24. Different Types of Jihad 25. Conservatism leads to Extremism and Extremism to Terrorism26. Brief Answers to Questions Regarding Terrorism27. Can a Good Intention Convert an Evil Deed into a Virtuous One?28. It is a Crime to Assist Terrorists 29. The Prohibition of Armed Rebellion against the Muslim State and Collective Order

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29.1 The Literal Definition of Rebellion 29.2 The Technical Definition of Rebellion 29.2.1 The Definition of Rebellion According to the anaf School 29.2.2 The Definition of Rebellion According to the Mlik School 29.2.3 The Definition of Rebellion According to the Shfi School 29.2.4 The Definition of Rebellion According to the anbal School 29.2.5 The Definition of Rebellion According to the Jafar School 29.2.6 The Definition of Rebellion and Terrorism according to Contemporary Scholars 29.3 The Technical Definition of Combat and Combatants 29.4 The Signs of the Rebels 29.5 What is the Punishment of Armed Rebellion According to the Shariah? 29.5.1 Why is Armed Rebellion Such a Grave Crime? 29.5.2 The Prophets Condemnation of Forming Armed Militias against the Muslim Collectiveness 29.5.3 The Promise of Punishment in the Hellfire for the One who Stokes Rebellion 29.5.4 The Ruling upon Those who Perpetrate Massacre by Raising Slogans in the Name of Nationalism 29.5.5 The Condemnation of Killing Muslims on the Basis of Differences in Beliefs30. The Edicts of the Four Imams and Eminent Authorities against Terrorism and Rebellion 30.1 The Edict of Imam Ab anfa and Imam al->aw on Conducting Warfare with Terrorists 30.2 Imam Mliks Edict against Terrorists 30.3 Imam al-Shfiis Edict against Terrorist Rebels 30.4 The Policy and Edict of Imam Amad b. anbal against Armed Rebellion 30.5 The Edict of Imam Sufyn al-Thawr Regarding Rebellion 30.6 The Edict of Imam al-Mward regarding Rebellion 30.7 Eliminating the Terrorists is Mandatory: The Edict of

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Imam al-Sarakhs 30.8 The Terrorists Must be Killed: The Edict of Imam al-Ksn 30.9 Military Operation Should Continue Until the Rebellion is Quelled: The Edict of Imam al-Marghnn 30.10 Armed Rebels are Disbelievers and Apostates: The Edict of Imam Ibn Qudma 30.11 The Consensus of the Companions upon the Killing of Rebels: The Edict of Imam al-Nawaw 30.12 Cooperating with the Government against the Terrorists: The Ttrkhnian Edicts 30.13 War against the Rebels is the Governments Obligation: The Edict of Imam Ibn Mufli al-anbal 30.14 The Edict of Imam Zayn al-Dn Ibn Nujaym al-Hanaf 30.15 The Edict of al-Jazr31. The Edicts of Contemporary Scholars regarding the Rebels 31.1 The Terrorists are the Kharijites of Our Time: The Edict of Nir al-Dn al-Albn 31.2 Declaring Muslims to be Disbelievers is a Sign of the Kharijites: The Edict of Shaykh Abd al-Azz b.Abd Allh b. Bz 31.3 Present Day Terrorists are a Group of Ignorant People: The Edict of Shaykh li al-Fawzn 31.4 Terroristic Acts are not Jihad: The Edict of Mufti Nadhr usayn al-Dehlaw 32. Who are the Kharijites and the Apostates? 32.1 An Introduction to the Kharijites 32.2 The Tribulations (Fitna) of the Kharijite: In Light of the Qurn 32.3 The Ideological Beginnings of the Kharijite Tribulation (Fitna) was Instigated during the Time of the Holy Prophet 32.4 The Kharijite Ideology was Practically Formulated During the Reign of Uthmn 32.5 The Formal Campaign of the Kharijites Started During the Reign of Al

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32.6 The Beliefs and Ideology of the Kharijites 32.7 The Mental State and Psychology of the Kharijites 32.8 How did the Kharijites Brainwash Minds by Igniting Religious Sentiments? 32.9 The Conspicuous Innovations (Bidat) of the Kharijites33. What are the Rulings and Sayings of the Holy Prophet s Regarding the Kharijites? 33.1 The Kharijites will Appear Ostensibly Religious 33.2 The Slogans of the Kharijites will Seem True to the Common People 33.3 The Kharijites will Use Young Brainwashed Boys for Terrorism 33.4 The Kharijites will Emerge from the East 33.5 The Kharijites will Continue to Appear until the Time of al-Dajjl (The Antichrist) 33.6 The Kharijites will Exit From the Religion 33.7 The Kharijites will be the Dogs of Hell 33.8 Do not be Fooled by the Outward Religiosity of the Kharijite Terrorist Groups 33.9 The Kharijites are the Worst of Creation34. Rulings Regarding the Total Elimination of the Kharijite Rebellion 34.1 The Total Eradication of the Kharijites is Compulsory 34.2 Significant Explanations by the Imams of Hadith 34.3 Immense Reward for Killing the Kharijites 34.4 Immense Reward for the Soldiers who Fight against the Kharijite Terrorists35. The Signs of the Kharijites: An Overall Picture 36. Are the Modern Day Terrorists to be considered as Kharijites 37. Condemnation of those who Promote Terrorists Recommended Books for Further Study and Teaching Recommended Lectures for Further Study and Teaching

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course BooKs

Islamic curriculum

on Peace and counter

terrorism For clerics, Imams and teachers

Islamic curriculum

on Peace and counter

terrorism For Young People and students

FAtWA on terrorism and

suicide Bombings

Muhammad Th e

Merciful

Islamic curriculum

on Peace and counter-terrorism

Further essential reading

MuhammadTh e Peace

Maker

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relations of Muslims and non-Muslims

Th e supremeJihad

Islam on love and

non-Violence

Peace, Integration

andHuman rights

Islam on Mercy and

compassion

Islam on serving

Humanity

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FAtWA on terrorIsM & suIcIDesuIcIDe BoMBInGs

In 2010, MQI launched the Fatwa on Terrorism & Suicide Bombings by Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri. This work, the first of its kind ever, shot to worldwide prominence and acclaim.

It is not merely a condemnation of terrorist attacks and suicide bomb-ings from the Islamic perspective, but is the most authoritative Islam-ic scholarly critique of terrorism based on evidence from the Quran and Sunnah and authentic sources and drawing on scholarship of all Islamic schools of thought.

It remains the most comprehensive and meticulously compiled Islam-ic refutation of the motives and methods of terrorism, completely dismantling terrorist ideology and proving that there is never any excuse or pretext for committing murder.

Prior to the Fatwa, it was the case that many Muslims organisations or individuals condemned terrorism or terrorist attacks, but with ca-veats and qualifications. Since the launch of the Fatwa, there has been no alternative but to unequivocally condemn terrorism with no ifs and buts.

The Fatwa on Terrorism & Sui-cide Bombings is one of the course books accompanying the Islamic Curriculum on Peace & Count-er-terrorism.

FAtWA onterrorIsM &suIcIDe BoMBInGs

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BIoGrAPHY 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 saints, scholars and teachers. His for-mal religious education was initiated in Medina at the age of 12 in Madra-sa al-Ulm al- Shariyya, a traditional school situated in the blessed house of the Companion of the Prophet Mu-hammad s, Ab Ayyb al- An|r g. 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 the pursuit of sacred knowledge, and studied under many famous scholars of Mec-ca, 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 spir-itual sciences. Amongst them is an un-precedented, unique and highly hon-oured chain of authority which connects him, through four teachers, to al-Shaykh Abd al- Razzq, the son of al-Shaykh Abd al-Qdir al-Jln al-asan al-u-sayn (of Baghdad), al-Shaykh al-Akbar Mu^y al-Dn b. Arab [(the author of al-Fut^t al-Makkiyya) (Damascus)] and Imam Ibn ajar al-Asqaln, the great hadith authority of Egypt. Through another chain he is linked to Imam Y-suf b. Isml al- Nabhn directly via

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only one teacher. His chains of transmission are published in two of his thabts (detailed lists): al-Jawhir al- Bhira f al-Asnd al->hira and al-Subul al-Wa-habiyya f al- Asnd al-Dhahabi-yya.

In the academic sphere, Dr Qadri received a First Class HonoursDegree from the University of the Punjab in 1970. After earn-ing his MA in Islamic studies with University Gold Medal in 1972 and achieving his LLB in 1974, Dr Qadri 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.

Dr Qadri was also a jurist advi-sor 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, Dr Qa-dri emerged as one of Pakistans leading Islamic jurists and schol-ars and one of the worlds most renowned and leading authori-ties on Islam. A prolific author, researcher and orator, Dr Qadri has written around one thousand books, of which more than four hundred and fifty have been

published, and has delivered over six thousand lectures (in Urdu, En-glish and Arabic) on a wide range of subjects.

In 2010, Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Mu-hammad Tahir-ul-Qadri issued his historic and world-renowned fat-wa on the critical matter of sui-cide 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 was written in Urdu, and amounts to 600 pag-es of research and references from the Qurn, hadith, the opinions of the Companions l, and the wide-ly accepted classical texts of Is-lamic scholarship. This historic work has been published in En-glish, Indonesian and Hindi, while translation into Arabic, Norwegian, Danish, Spanish, French and other major languages is also in process. The Islamic Research Academy of Jamia al- Azhar Egypt wrote a de-tailed description of the fatwa and verified its contents. It gained world-wide media attention and acclaim as an indispensable tool in the in-tellectual and ideological struggle against violent extremism.

Also Dr Qadri is the founder and head of Minhaj-ul-Quran Interna-tional (MQI), an organisation with branches and centres in more than ninety countries around the globe; he is the chairman of the Board

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of Governors of Minhaj Universi-ty Lahore, which is chartered by the Government of Pakistan; he is the founder of Minhaj Educa-tion Society, which has established more than 600 schools and col-leges in Pakistan; and he is the chair-man of Minhaj Welfare Founda-tion, an organisa-tion involved in humanitarian and social welfare activ-ities globally.

Dr Qadri has spent his life, and especially the last decade, in an in-defatigable effort to counter religious extremism and promote peace and harmony between communities. His

painstaking research into the Qurn, hadith and classical Islamic author-ities has resulted in landmark works, some published, and others soon to be published, demonstrating Islam as a religion that not only safeguards human rights, but promotes peace, tolerance and socioeconomic prog-ress. He has travelled extensively to lecture at the invitation of govern-ment and non-government agencies,

and has organised and taken part in international conferences in order

to promote peace. He has arranged spiritual and

educational train-ing programmes

across the West-ern world with a focus on addressing the roots of religious ex-

tremism. He is recognised

for his commit-ment to interfaith

dialogue, with over 12,000 people attending

his Peace for Humanity Conference in 2011, probably the largest in-terfaith gathering ever held in the UK, and which announced the Lon-

don Declaration, a charter for world peace, signed online by a quarter of a million people. He has been politi-cally 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 activ-ities and producing vital works of Islamic scholarship relevant to Mus-lims in this day and age.

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IntroDuctIon to MInHAJ-ul-QurAn InternAtIonAlMinhaj-ul-Quran Internation-al (MQI) was founded in 1981 by Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Ta-hir-ul-Qadri, a world-renowned Is-lamic scholar and recognised author-ity on Islam. In 30 years its presence has spread to 90 countries around the

world, with branches and centres in most major cities in Europe, through-out the Middle East, Asia and the Far East, as well as North America. In 2011MQI was formally recognised and given special consultative sta-tus by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). MQI is a multi-dimensional organisation whose aims include the promotion of peace, strengthening ties between different communities and religions, tackling intolerance and extremism of all kinds, and through its sister chari-ty, Minhaj Welfare Foundation, pov-erty alleviation and emergency relief around the world. MQI oversees one

of the largest non-governmental educa-tion projects in the world, with around 600 schools and dozens of colleges throughout Pakistan, and many schools and educational institutes across the world. In the UK MQI runs education-al and cultural centres in London, Bir-mingham, Walsall, Manchester, Brad-ford, Nelson and Glasgow organising many activities, particularly for young people and women, and branches in many other cities. Since 2005, MQI has organised the annual Al-Hidayah retreat for youth, which has spiritually transformed the lives of thousands of young people, and in 2011 over 12,000 people attended the MQIs Peace for Humanity Conference, probably the largest interfaith gathering ever held in the UK, and which announced the Lon-don Declaration, a charter for world peace, signed online by almost a quar-ter of a million people. MQI is active in publishing the works of Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qa-dri, most notably several large and acclaimed Hadith compilations, and a translation of the Holy Quran. He is perhaps most famous for his Fatwa on Terrorism and Suicide Bombings, pub-lished and launched in 2010 to world-wide media attention.

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In 2011 the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) formal-ly recognised MQI and granted it Spe-cial Consultative Status. ECOSOC describes MQI as an in-t e rna -tion-a l or-

ga-n i -z a -t i o n w o r k i n g to promote peace, tolerance, interfaith harmo-ny and education, tackle extremism and terrorism, en-gage with young Muslims for reli-gious moderation, promote womens rights, development and empowerment, and provide social welfare and pro-motion of human rights.

Minhaj Wel-fare Foundation has grown to be one of the largest non-government international char-ity organisations in the world, with

a network of branches

a n d

p r o j -e c t s

worldwide.It is involved in large scale educa-tion and literacy projects, providing access to clean wa-ter and sanitation, along with health care to deprived communities every-where. It has also provided emergen-cy relief after natu-ral disasters. www.minhajwelfare.org/

MQI - soMe HIGHlIGHts

MQI has been at the forefront of pro-moting peace and tolerance across religious groups and communities. Interfaith activities are an important aspect MQIs work, and MQI centres all over the world hold meetings and events to increase mutual understanding and promote dialogue between all reli-gions and groups. . In 2011, it held the Peace for Humanity Conference, proba-bly the biggest event of its kind ever in the UK, which brought together represen-tatives from all the major religions to worship together, and which launched the London Decla-ration, a manifesto calling for world peace.

InterFAItHWorK

MQI has made it a core aim to tackle religious extrem-ism, and has been active in this field since its very in-ception. In the UK, for example, since 2005 it has held an-nual Al-Hidayah retreats for Brit-ish and European youth, promoting spiritual growth and enlightenment within the frame-work of Sufism, the spiritual path of Islam, and attended by over 1000 young people at a time. Under its Seekers project, MQI has been active in uni-versity campuses all over the country to promote the true understanding of Islam as a religion of peace. http://seekersacademy.net/

tAcKlInGeXtreMIsM

un sPecIAlconsultAtIVe

stAtus

MInHAJWelFAre

FounDAtIon

describes MQI as an in-t e rna -tion-a l or-

ga-n i -z a -t i o n w o r k i n g

a network of branches

a n d

p r o j -e c t s

worldwide.

21

FortHcoMInG eVents

unIVersItY eVents

GlasgowLeedsBirminghamLuton

London

She eld

Bradford

London

She eld

Bradford

Friday 30th October 2015

Friday 6th November 2015

Friday 13th November 2015

Friday 20th November 2015

ursday 15th October 2015

Monday 19th October 2015

ursday 22nd October 2015

ursday 28th January 2016

Monday 1st February 2016

ursday 4th February 2016

22

training events for institutions and departments dealing with young Muslims. such as schools, colleges, universities, security services, etc.

Th eological training events aimed at muslim university students.

Minhaj-ul-Quran International292-296 Romford Road, London, E9 7HD

www.minhajuk.org info@minhajuk.org

292-296 Romford Road, London, E9 7HD292-296 Romford Road, London, E9 7HD