Concept of Jihad: Allama Tahirul Qardri “accepts Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani’s claim”: Report

Concept of Jihad: Allama Tahirul Qardri “accepts Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani’s claim”: Report

For Ahmadī Muslims, who follow Hazrat Ahmad of Qadian, the subject of jihad has never been a confusing matter. For the mainstream Muslims, on the other hand, the doctrine of jihad has posed a considerable challenge - especially since 9/11.

When it comes to violent Jihad there is a small change of heart reported for at least one Pakistani cleric who recently revised his views when he arrived in the US and Canada.

The famous, on again - off again Pakistani maulana, Allama Tahirul Qardri has adopted the point of view put forth by Hazrat Mirzā Ghulām Ahmad of Qādiān, India, over 120 years ago, with respect to the Islamic concept of jihad, an Urdu language newspaper reported.

The news of Allama Qadri’s acceptance of the Ahmadiyya belief about jihad was published as a front page story in June 3rd edition of Weekly Pakistan Express, a North-American Urdu weekly newspaper published from New York.


Speaking to multiple Muslim gatherings in the United States, Allama Qardri also expressed his newly-revised views about the Muslim governments and his sentiments towards those killed in the drone attacks.

The story broke in New York and New Jersey where, according to the news report, Allama Tahirul Qadri spoke about a fatwa (a religious edict or decree) he has issued forbidding Muslims from taking up arms to fight the West.

“The Muslim government should be blamed for drone attacks on innocent civilians,” Allama Qadri was quoted to have declared as part of the fatwa he issued.

Allama Qadri, known to be an extremely vocal opponent of the Ahmadi Muslims and the founder of their community in the past, appears to have squarely surprised many in promoting Ahmadiyya concept of Jihad.

Hazrat Ahmad, who founded the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in 1889, has explained that one’s Jihad is all about his or her personal struggles towards righteousness and Islām does not allow use of force.

For Ahmadī Muslims, who follow Hazrat Ahmad of Qadian, the subject of Jihad has never been a confusing matter. For the mainstream Muslims, on the other hand, the doctrine of jihad has posed a considerable challenge - especially since 9/11 - because, overtime, their scholars have instilled the belief of violent Jihad as an essential pillar of the faith of Islām.

Some allege that Allama Qadri, reportedly a recent immigrant to and now a naturalized citizen of Canada, is no different from before; an opportunist maneuvering to make a spot for himself on the American-Muslim scene.

Writing for Pakistan Express, one of the largest Urdu language newspapers in North America, the reporter blamed Allama Qadri for "handing a weapon to the western powers" that will weaken the Muslim spirit the world over.

Implying that Allama Qadri’s has committed a great folly, the newspaper wrote that as a result “…the west will have no difficulty in maintaining an upper hand over the Muslim countries.”

Responding to a question during a press conference after the talk, Allama Qadri rejected the notion that he had a change of heart "only to please the US State Department" or that now he wants to say what is politically correct and expedient here.

Allama Qadri is no stranger to the Ahmadiyya community because of his past use of vulgar language about the community and its founder.

Qasim Rashid, who is National Islām Examiner and a spokes person for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of the United States, has written about Qadri’s occasional fatwa ‘antics’ in the past.

“Why did it take Mullah ul Qadri a full decade to realize that perhaps violence in the name of Islam is wrong?” Rashid asked in one of his article.

“Imagine the lives that could have been saved if he expressed this feature of Islam in 2000," Qasim added.

Qasin Rashid, while highlighting the duplicity in Allama Qadri’s claim, wrote:

    “Mullah ul Qadri believes the punishment for apostasy in Islam is death.  Aside from the fact that this is not true, Mullah ul Qadri insists that a peaceful Islam can co-exist with an Islam that kills those who choose to accept a different faith.  He is a prime example of a walking contradiction.”


  -- Image courtesy Imam Shamshad Nasir
  -- By Imran Jattala - Follow Imran Jattala on twitter http://twitter.com/ijattala

  -- Concept of Jihad: Mullah Tahirul Qardri “accepts Mirzā  Ghulām Ahmad Qadiani’s claim”: Urdu newspaper report

The Ahmadiyya Times
Thursday, June 16, 2011