Yasir Qadhi: Difference between revisions
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| image = Yasir Qadhi MCC East Bay 2018.png |
| image = Yasir Qadhi MCC East Bay 2018.png |
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| birth_place = [[Houston]], [[Texas]] |
| birth_place = [[Houston]], [[Texas]] |
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⚫ | | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1975|01|30}}<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IDVcBAAAQBAJ&dq=yasir+qadhi+january+30+1975&pg=PA127|title = Finding Your Roots: The Official Companion to the PBS Series|isbn = 9781469618012|last1 = Gates|first1 = Henry Louis Jr.|date = 15 September 2014| publisher=UNC Press Books }}</ref> |
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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1975|01|30}}<ref name=finding_your_roots_profile> |
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| education = [[Yale University]] ([[Master of Arts|MA]], [[Master of Philosophy|MPhil]], [[Doctor of Philosophy|PhD]])<br>[[Islamic University of Madinah]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]], [[Master of Arts|MA]])<br>[[University of Houston]] ([[Bachelor of Science|BS]]) |
| education = [[Yale University]] ([[Master of Arts|MA]], [[Master of Philosophy|MPhil]], [[Doctor of Philosophy|PhD]])<br>[[Islamic University of Madinah]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]], [[Master of Arts|MA]])<br>[[University of Houston]] ([[Bachelor of Science|BS]]) |
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| denomination = [[Sunni]]<ref name=article_salafism>{{cite web |url=https://muslimmatters.org/2014/04/22/on-salafi-islam-dr-yasir-qadhi/4/ |title=On Salafi Islam [With New Video Lecture] | date=April 22, 2014 | website=MuslimMatters | access-date=December 22, 2023}}</ref> |
| denomination = [[Sunni]]<ref name=article_salafism>{{cite web |url=https://muslimmatters.org/2014/04/22/on-salafi-islam-dr-yasir-qadhi/4/ |title=On Salafi Islam [With New Video Lecture] | date=April 22, 2014 | website=MuslimMatters | access-date=December 22, 2023}}</ref> |
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| jurisprudence = [[Hanbali]]<ref>{{ |
| jurisprudence = [[Hanbali]]<ref>{{Citation |title=To Wipe or Not to Wipe: Masah Over Socks? {{!}} Ask Shaykh YQ #34 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vH_0MMYTtRA |access-date=2023-12-23 |language=en}}</ref> |
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| creed = [[Athari]]<ref name=article_salafism |
| creed = [[Athari]]<ref name=article_salafism/> |
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| website = |
| website = |
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| influences = {{ubl | [[Ibn Taymiyyah]]|[[Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah]]|[[Abul A'la Maududi]]|[[Rashid Rida]]|[[Hassan al-Banna]]|[[Aid al-Qarni]]|[[Yusuf al-Qaradawi]]|[[Sayyid Qutb]]| [[Muhammad Qutb]] | [[Salman al-Ouda]]|[[Mohammad Iqbal]]| [[Imran Hosein]] |[[Safar al-Hawali]] |[[Zakir Naik]] | [[Muhammad Surur]] | [[Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab]]}} |
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| module2 = {{Infobox YouTube personality|embed=yes |
| module2 = {{Infobox YouTube personality|embed=yes |
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| channel_direct_url = user/YasirQadhi |
| channel_direct_url = user/YasirQadhi |
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| channel_display_name = Yasir Qadhi |
| channel_display_name = Yasir Qadhi |
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| genre = Islamic |
| genre = Islamic |
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| subscribers = |
| subscribers = 616 thousand |
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| views = |
| views = 99.0 million |
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| years_active = May 23, 2012–present |
| years_active = May 23, 2012–present |
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| associated_acts = {{url|youtube.com/c/EpicMasjid|Epic Masjid}}<br/> {{url|youtube.com/c/memphisislamiccenter|Memphis Islamic Center}} |
| associated_acts = {{url|youtube.com/c/EpicMasjid|Epic Masjid}}<br/> {{url|youtube.com/c/memphisislamiccenter|Memphis Islamic Center}} |
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'''Yasir Qadhi''' (formerly known by his [[Kunya (Arabic)|kunya]] '''Abu Ammaar Yasir Qadhi''') (born January 30, 1975) |
'''Yasir Qadhi''' (formerly known by his [[Kunya (Arabic)|kunya]] '''Abu Ammaar Yasir Qadhi''') (born January 30, 1975) is a [[Pakistani Americans|Pakistani American]] [[Islam in the United States|Muslim]] [[Islamic scholar|scholar]] and theologian.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Yasir Qadhi |url=https://www.pbs.org/weta/finding-your-roots/about/meet-our-guests/yasir-qadhi |access-date=2023-12-23 |website=Finding Your Roots |language=en}}</ref> He is dean of The Islamic Seminary of America and resident scholar of the [[East Plano Islamic Center]] in [[Plano, Texas]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Yasir Qadhi |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/author/yasir-qadhi |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref> He was formerly the dean of [[AlMaghrib Institute]] and taught in the religious studies department at [[Rhodes College]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Yasir Qadhi |url=https://lectures.princeton.edu/lectures/2018/yasir-qadhi |access-date=2023-12-23 |website=Princeton University Public Lectures |language=en}}</ref> He currently serves as chairman of the [[Fiqh Council of North America]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=About |url=https://fiqhcouncil.org/about/ |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=Fiqh Council of North America |language=en-US}}</ref> |
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Born in [[Texas]] to Pakistani parents, 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.<ref name="hch" /><ref name="cha" /> A 2011 ''[[The New York Times Magazine]]'' essay by Andrea Elliott described Qadhi as "one of the most influential conservative clerics in American Islam."<ref name="nytimes.com"> |
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Elliott, Andrea (April 17, 2011). [https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/20/magazine/mag-20Salafis-t.html/ "Why Yasir Qadhi Wants to Talk About Jihad"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130427064314/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/20/magazine/mag-20Salafis-t.html |date=2013-04-27 }}, ''[[The New York Times]]''.</ref> Writing in 2017, journalist [[Graeme Wood (journalist)|Graeme Wood]] called him "one of the two most prominent Muslim scholars in the United States today."<ref>{{cite book|last1=Wood|first1=Graeme|title=The Way of the Strangers: Encounters with the Islamic State|date=2016|publisher=Random House|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bPoOCwAAQBAJ&q=al-Bahrumi&pg=PT132|chapter=The War of the End of Time|page=214 |isbn=9780812988765}}</ref> He has also consistently been listed in [[The 500 Most Influential Muslims]], most recently in 2022.<ref>[https://themuslim500.com/books/The%20Muslim%20500%202022%20edition%20-%20Free%20eBook.pdf : "The 500 Most Influential Muslims in the World"] 2022.</ref> He has nevertheless been criticised for his views on women, and for defending high-profile [[Al-Qaeda]] supporters and the [[Taliban]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.firstpost.com/world/why-this-imam-in-texas-is-so-furious-at-women-fighting-for-freedom-in-iran-11420141.html/amp | title=Why this Imam in Texas is so furious at women fighting for freedom in Iran? | date=10 October 2022 }}</ref><ref name=algem>[https://www.algemeiner.com/2018/03/21/taliban-apologist-yasir-qadhi-headlines-icna-dinner/ Taliban Apologist Yasir Qadhi Headlines ICNA Dinner]</ref> |
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⚫ | Qadhi was previously affiliated with the [[Salafi]] movement but has since left the movement and now only identifies himself as belonging to the |
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Born in [[Texas]] to [[Muhajir (Pakistan)|Pakistani Muhajir]] parents, Qadhi studied chemical engineering at the [[University of Houston]], before studying [[Hadith studies|hadith]] and [[Islamic Theology (Aqidah)|Islamic theology]] at the [[Islamic University of Madinah]] in Saudi Arabia.<ref name=":1" /> He earned his PhD from [[Yale University]] where his dissertation focused on the writings of [[Ibn Taymiyya|Ibn Taymiyyah]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Bano |first=Masooda |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VGiDDwAAQBAJ&newbks=0 |title=Modern Islamic Authority and Social Change, Volume 2: Evolving Debates in the West |date=2018-03-07 |publisher=Edinburgh University Press |isbn=978-1-4744-3328-0 |language=en |chapter=Yasir Qadhi and the Development of Reasonable Salafism}}</ref> 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.<ref name=":3" /> He has also consistently been listed in the annual listicle [[The 500 Most Influential Muslims]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Yasir Qadhi |url=https://themuslim500.com/profiles/yasir-qadhi/ |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=The Muslim 500 |language=en-US}}</ref> |
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==Early years== |
==Early years== |
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Qadhi was born in [[Houston]], [[Texas]] to [[Pakistani]], [[Muhajir (Pakistan)|Muhajir]] parents.<ref name="nytimes20110320"> |
Qadhi was born in [[Houston]], [[Texas]] to [[Pakistani]], [[Muhajir (Pakistan)|Muhajir]] parents.<ref name="nytimes20110320"> |
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⚫ | {{Cite news |last=Elliott |first=Andrea |date=2011-03-17 |title=Why Yasir Qadhi Wants to Talk About Jihad |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/20/magazine/mag-20Salafis-t.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308081343/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/20/magazine/mag-20Salafis-t.html |archive-date=2016-03-08 |access-date=2016-03-02 |newspaper=The New York Times Magazine |issn=}}</ref> 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.<ref name="nytimes20110320" /> When he was five, the family moved to [[Jeddah]], [[Saudi Arabia]], where he attended local schools. By 15 he had [[Hafiz (Quran)|memorized the Qur'an]] and graduated from high school two years early as class valedictorian.<ref name="nytimes.com"> |
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{{Cite news |
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Elliott, Andrea (April 17, 2011). [https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/20/magazine/mag-20Salafis-t.html/ "Why Yasir Qadhi Wants to Talk About Jihad"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130427064314/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/20/magazine/mag-20Salafis-t.html|date=2013-04-27}}, ''[[The New York Times]]''.</ref> He returned to the United States, where he earned a [[Bachelor of Science|B.Sc]] in Chemical Engineering at the [[University of Houston]].<ref name="hch" /> |
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| url = https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/20/magazine/mag-20Salafis-t.html |
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| title = Why Yasir Qadhi Wants to Talk About Jihad |
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| last = Elliott |
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| first = Andrea |
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| date = 2011-03-17 |
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| newspaper = The New York Times |
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| issn = 0362-4331 |
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| access-date = 2016-03-02 |
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| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160308081343/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/20/magazine/mag-20Salafis-t.html |
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| archive-date = 2016-03-08 |
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| url-status = live |
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⚫ | }}</ref> 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.<ref name="nytimes20110320" /> When he was five, the family moved to [[Jeddah]], [[Saudi Arabia]], where he attended local schools. By 15 he had [[Hafiz (Quran)|memorized the Qur'an]] and graduated from high school two years early as class valedictorian.<ref name="nytimes.com" |
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==Professional career== |
==Professional career== |
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{{cite news |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/04/AR2006090401107.html |last= Murphy |first= Caryle |date= September 5, 2006 |title= For Conservative Muslims, Goal of Isolation a Challenge |newspaper= [[The Washington Post]] |access-date= February 2, 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110604142301/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/04/AR2006090401107.html |archive-date= 2011-06-04 |url-status= live }}</ref> 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 (EPIC Masjid)|East Plano Islamic Center]]. He is the Dean of Academic Affairs at The Islamic Seminary of America.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.islamicseminary.us/administration-and-staff/ | title=Administration and Staff – the Islamic Seminary of America }}</ref> |
{{cite news |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/04/AR2006090401107.html |last= Murphy |first= Caryle |date= September 5, 2006 |title= For Conservative Muslims, Goal of Isolation a Challenge |newspaper= [[The Washington Post]] |access-date= February 2, 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110604142301/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/04/AR2006090401107.html |archive-date= 2011-06-04 |url-status= live }}</ref> 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 (EPIC Masjid)|East Plano Islamic Center]]. He is the Dean of Academic Affairs at The Islamic Seminary of America.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.islamicseminary.us/administration-and-staff/ | title=Administration and Staff – the Islamic Seminary of America }}</ref> |
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[https://www.pbs.org/wnet/finding-your-roots/profiles/yasir-qadhi/ Profile: "Yasir Qadhi"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924164549/http://www.pbs.org/wnet/finding-your-roots/profiles/yasir-qadhi/ |date=2015-09-24 }}, ''Finding Your Roots,'' PBS</ref> |
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==Views == |
==Views == |
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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.<ref>{{Cite web|title=YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5KlE80EhOA&app=desktop |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/L5KlE80EhOA |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|access-date=2020-07-02|website=www.youtube.com}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref> |
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.<ref>{{Cite web|title=YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5KlE80EhOA&app=desktop |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/L5KlE80EhOA |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|access-date=2020-07-02|website=www.youtube.com}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref> |
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{{Cite web |url=http://www.casaw.ac.uk/conf/rj2009/programme.html |title=Rethinking Jihad: Ideas, Politics and Conflict in the Arab World & Beyond; Programme |publisher=[[University of Edinburgh]] |access-date=2010-01-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090528220907/http://www.casaw.ac.uk/conf/rj2009/programme.html |archive-date=2009-05-28 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The paper has been critiqued by some [[Salafi]] commentators, who say that they in fact did not revise the definition of [[Jihad]].<ref> |
{{Cite web |url=http://www.casaw.ac.uk/conf/rj2009/programme.html |title=Rethinking Jihad: Ideas, Politics and Conflict in the Arab World & Beyond; Programme |publisher=[[University of Edinburgh]] |access-date=2010-01-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090528220907/http://www.casaw.ac.uk/conf/rj2009/programme.html |archive-date=2009-05-28 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The paper has been critiqued by some [[Salafi]] commentators, who say that they in fact did not revise the definition of [[Jihad]].<ref> |
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[http://www.salafimanhaj.com/pdf/SalafiManhaj_YasirQadhi "Did Modern Salafi Scholars Invent the Notion of 'Istihlal'? A Critique of Yasir Qadhi's Paper"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101206043755/http://www.salafimanhaj.com/pdf/SalafiManhaj_YasirQadhi |date=2010-12-06 }}, ''Salafimanhaj''</ref> |
[http://www.salafimanhaj.com/pdf/SalafiManhaj_YasirQadhi "Did Modern Salafi Scholars Invent the Notion of 'Istihlal'? A Critique of Yasir Qadhi's Paper"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101206043755/http://www.salafimanhaj.com/pdf/SalafiManhaj_YasirQadhi |date=2010-12-06 }}, ''Salafimanhaj''</ref> |
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⚫ | 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.<ref>{{cite thesis |last=Fouad |first=Khadija |year=2016 |title=American Muslim Undergraduates Views On Evolution |type=PhD|publisher=Indiana University|page=14}}</ref> |
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===Sufism and veneration of the saints=== |
===Sufism and veneration of the saints=== |
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==Controversies== |
==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.<ref name="nytimes20110320" /> |
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⚫ | 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."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/6924653/Detroit-bombers-mentor-continues-to-influence-British-mosques-and-universities.html|title=Detroit bomber's mentor continues to influence British mosques and universities|last=Sawer|first=Patrick|date=January 2, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100105040107/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/6924653/Detroit-bombers-mentor-continues-to-influence-British-mosques-and-universities.html|archive-date=January 5, 2010|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|url-status=dead|access-date=February 1, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://vimeo.com/5496661/|title = YQ1}}</ref> The following year ''The New York Times'' |
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⚫ | 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."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/6924653/Detroit-bombers-mentor-continues-to-influence-British-mosques-and-universities.html|title=Detroit bomber's mentor continues to influence British mosques and universities|last=Sawer|first=Patrick|date=January 2, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100105040107/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/6924653/Detroit-bombers-mentor-continues-to-influence-British-mosques-and-universities.html|archive-date=January 5, 2010|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|url-status=dead|access-date=February 1, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://vimeo.com/5496661/|title = YQ1}}</ref> 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."<ref name="nytimes.com" /> |
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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".<ref name=Holocaust/> 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.<ref name=Holocaust> |
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".<ref name=Holocaust/> 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.<ref name=Holocaust> |
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[[Category:Dow Chemical Company employees]] |
[[Category:Dow Chemical Company employees]] |
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[[Category:American expatriates in Saudi Arabia]] |
[[Category:American expatriates in Saudi Arabia]] |
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[[Category:Muslims from Texas]] |
Revision as of 15:18, 24 April 2024
Yasir Qadhi | |||||||
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Personal | |||||||
Born | [1] | January 30, 1975||||||
Religion | Islam | ||||||
Denomination | Sunni[2] | ||||||
Jurisprudence | Hanbali[3] | ||||||
Creed | Athari[2] | ||||||
Education | Yale University (MA, MPhil, PhD) Islamic University of Madinah (BA, MA) University of Houston (BS) | ||||||
YouTube information | |||||||
Channel | |||||||
Years active | May 23, 2012–present | ||||||
Genre | Islamic | ||||||
Subscribers | 616 thousand[4] | ||||||
Total views | 99.0 million[4] | ||||||
Associated acts | Epic Masjid Memphis Islamic Center | ||||||
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Yasir Qadhi (formerly known by his kunya Abu Ammaar Yasir Qadhi) (born January 30, 1975) is a Pakistani American Muslim scholar and theologian.[5] He is dean of The Islamic Seminary of America and resident scholar of the East Plano Islamic Center in Plano, Texas.[6] He was formerly the dean of AlMaghrib Institute and taught in the religious studies department at Rhodes College.[7] He currently serves as chairman of the Fiqh Council of North America.[8]
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.[5] He earned his PhD from Yale University where his dissertation focused on the writings of Ibn Taymiyyah.[9] 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.[9] He has also consistently been listed in the annual listicle The 500 Most Influential Muslims.[10]
Early years
Qadhi was born in Houston, Texas to Pakistani, Muhajir parents.[11] 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.[11] 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.[12] He returned to the United States, where he earned a B.Sc in Chemical Engineering at the University of Houston.[13]
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.[13][14][15] Qadhi returned to the United States after working and studying for nine years in Saudi Arabia.[15] He completed a doctorate in theology at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.[13][14]
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,[14] 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.[16]
Qadhi was a guest on an episode of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates's television genealogy series Finding Your Roots on PBS.[17]
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.[18]
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.[19][20] The paper has been critiqued by some Salafi commentators, who say that they in fact did not revise the definition of Jihad.[21]
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.[22]
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. [23] 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.[23]
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".[24]
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.[24]
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.[25]
Controversies
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.[11]
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."[26][27] 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."[12]
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".[28] 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.[28] 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.[12]
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.[29]
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.[30][31]
Works
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
- Reconciling Reason and Revelation in the Writings of Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728/1328): An Analytical Study of Ibn Taymiyyah’s Dar' at-ta’aarod, PhD Dissertation, 2013, Yale University.
- "The Unleashed Thunderbolts' Of Ibn Qayyim Al-Ǧawziyyah: An Introductory Essay", Oriente Moderno vol. 90, no. 1, 2010, pp. 135–149.
- "A Christian Islamist?", Political Theology, vol. 14, issue 6, 2013, pp. 803–812.
- "Salafı-Ash'arı Polemics of the 3rd & 4th Islamic Centuries," The Muslim World, 2016.
Translations
- Sunan Abu Dawud - first 2 volumes
See also
References
- ^ Gates, Henry Louis Jr. (September 15, 2014). Finding Your Roots: The Official Companion to the PBS Series. UNC Press Books. ISBN 9781469618012.
- ^ a b "On Salafi Islam [With New Video Lecture]". MuslimMatters. April 22, 2014. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
- ^ To Wipe or Not to Wipe: Masah Over Socks? | Ask Shaykh YQ #34, retrieved December 23, 2023
- ^ a b "About Yasir Qadhi". YouTube.
- ^ a b "Yasir Qadhi". Finding Your Roots. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
- ^ "Yasir Qadhi". Al Jazeera. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
- ^ "Yasir Qadhi". Princeton University Public Lectures. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
- ^ "About". Fiqh Council of North America. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Yasir Qadhi". The Muslim 500. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Administration and Staff – the Islamic Seminary of America".
- ^ Profile: "Yasir Qadhi" Archived 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine, Finding Your Roots, PBS
- ^ ""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.
- ^ "YouTube". www.youtube.com. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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
- ^ Fouad, Khadija (2016). American Muslim Undergraduates Views On Evolution (PhD). Indiana University. p. 14.
- ^ a b Shaykh Dr. Yasir Qadhi | Q&A | is invoking saints shirk, charity as tax deductions?, retrieved January 27, 2022
- ^ a b Uddin, Asma T. (March 26, 2021). "Muslim America is Not a Monolith". Literary Hub. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
- ^
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) - ^ 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.
- ^ "YQ1".
- ^ 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.
- ^ "U.S. Muslim group denounces 'historic injustice of the Holocaust'". CNN. Archived from the original on August 22, 2010. Retrieved August 23, 2010.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Kay, Liam (April 11, 2017). "Regulator contacts three Islamic charities about Yasir Qadhi tours". Third Sector. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
- 1975 births
- Living people
- Muhajir people
- University of Houston alumni
- Islamic University of Madinah alumni
- Yale University alumni
- American Sunni Muslim scholars of Islam
- American academics of Pakistani descent
- 21st-century Muslim theologians
- Dow Chemical Company employees
- American expatriates in Saudi Arabia
- Muslims from Texas