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Dr. Allama Muhammad Tahir ul-Qadri (Urdu: محمد طاہر القادری) (born February 19, 1951, Jhang, Pakistan) is a Canada-based Pakistani Islamic Scholar and former professor of international constitutional law at University of the Punjab.

Dr. Allama Muhammad Tahir ul-Qadri is the founder of Minhaj-ul-Quran International, a worldwide broad-based organization. According to them, their objective is the promotion of a moderate vision of Islam, the establishment of unity and understanding between communities and religions, and educating youth in classic Islam. He also founded The Minhaj University of which he is the head of the Board of Governors. He also founded an international relief charity, Minhaj Welfare Foundation. Qadri is also the founding chairman of the political party Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) however he is no longer involved in politics.

Dr. Allama Muhammad Tahir ul-Qadri is the son of Dr. Farid-ud-Din Qadri. His ancestors belong to the Sial family of Jhang. Qadri started his education from the Sacred Heart School in Jhang, a Catholic mission school, where Qadri learned English and was exposed to Christianity at an early age. He started his religious education at the age of 12 in Madinah, Saudi Arabia at the Madrasa al-‘Ulūm ash-Shar‘iyya, which was situated in the house of Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, the first residence of Prophet Muhammad after his migration to Madinah. He learned under Hazrat Maulana Zia-ud-Din Madani and studied Hadith from al-Sayyid Alawi al-Malik. He then received Ijaza. He continued his religious education from his father and other scholars, and completed Dars-e-Nizami and Dars-e-Hadith.

He eventually went to study law at the University of the Punjab, Lahore where he graduated with an LLB in 1974, gaining a Gold Medal for his academic performances. Following a period of legal practice as an advocate, he taught law at the University of the Punjab from 1978 to 1983 and then gained his PhD in Law from the same university in 1986. He was appointed as a professor of Law at the University of Punjab, where he taught British, US and Islamic constitutional law.

He was appointed as a jurist consultant (legal adviser) on Islamic law for the Supreme Court and the Federal Shariat Court of Pakistan and also worked as a specialist adviser on Islamic curricula for the Federal Ministry of Education (Pakistan). At various times between 1983–1987, he was offered various high level posts, which he refused and continued to expand his organisation.

He has delivered more than 6,000 lectures on economy and political studies, religious philosophy, law, spirituality Sufism, medical sciences, material sciences and astronomy. These lectures are available in Urdu, English and Arabic at different Islamic Shops around the world.

Qadri has himself given ijazah to a number of leading Muslim scholars, making them his students, linking them through himself back to the prophet Muhammad. These include among many others:

In 2006, Qadri was a key-note speaker at the Muslims of Europe Conference in Istanbul, Turkey to discuss Identity, Citizenship, and Challenges and Opportunities for European Muslims.

In March 2010 he was at the centre of media attention for the launch of his unconditional Fatwa on Terrorism and appread on various international media outlets including Sky News, BBC News, ITV, EuroNews, Al-Jazeera, CNN and CNN's Amanpour, CBC News, Russia Today, Al Arabiya and various other outlets. He appread on Frost Over The World in which he was interviewed by Sir David Frost and Qadri said 'purpose of his life is to bring peace and harmony in the world. The US State Department declared the Fatwa to be significant which takes back Islam from terrorists.

Qadri was quoted in the American Foreign Policy magazine as "I am trying to bring [the terrorists] back towards humanism. This is a jihad against brutality, to bring them back towards normality. This is an intellectual jihad.

He is referred as Shaykh-ul-Islam by scholars for bring an authority on Islam.

Qadri is married and has two sons and three daughters, Hassan Mohi-ud-Din Qadri, Hussain Mohi-ud-Din Qadri, Qurrat-ul-Ain Fatima, Aisha Qurrat-ul-Ain and Khadija Qurrat-ul-Ain.

Foundation of Minhaj-ul-Quran

Qadri founded an organisation Minhaj-ul-Quran International in October 1981 and spent the next decade to expand it nationally and internationally.

He argues that terrorists have left the true, classical teachings of Islam and have grown out of the religious extremism which is the continuity of Khawarij. Qadri was one of few religious leaders in Pakistan to condemn the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, he has denounced and severely condemned Osama bin Ladin.

Qadri refutes the division of the world into 2 categories Dar al-Islam (the abode of Islam) and Dar al-harb (the abode of war) and that the west being the latter, which has been taught by various scholars including Ibn Taymiyah which is one of the reasons why radicals misuse this concept. Qadri has briefly explained this concept in his Fatwa on Terrorism news conference and it will be published in his forthcoming 600-page Fatwa on Terrorism book. He divides the world into 5 categories and believes the west is similar to Dar al-Islam due to the freedom of religions and based on the international law.

He showed great concern when cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad were published in newspapers around Europe. He sent out a memorandum called 'A call to prevent a clash of civilizations'.

Qadri was featured by Reuters in August 2009 as a leading Sufi scholar, who is working to bring the western youth away from extremism towards moderate Islam and to combat extreme tendencies.

After the December 2009 Rawalpindi attack he was quoted as saying "Suicide attacks are not allowed in Islam, these actions are un-Islamic. The slaughter of human beings in any religion or country, and terrorism in all its manifestations, are totally in contradiction with the teachings of Islam.

On 2 March 2010, Qadri issued a 600-page fatwa, which was an "absolute" condemnation of terrorism without "any excuses or pretexts." He said that "Terrorism is terrorism, violence is violence and it has no place in Islamic teaching and no justification can be provided for it, or any kind of excuses or ifs or buts." Qadri said his fatwa, which declares terrorists and suicide bombers to be unbelievers, goes further than any previous denunciation.

Published books

File:Al-minhaj-us-sawee.jpg
Hadith compendium Minhaj us Sawi

He has authored some 400 published works in Arabic, English and Urdu. Most Notable Works of Dr. Tahir ul Qadri to Read Online Amongst his most notable and recent works are:
“Dala’il al-Barakat” (10,000 Durood and Salawaat in praise of Muhammad, written in the style of the well-read Dala’il al-Khayrat of Imam Jazuli, which was written nearly 1,000 years ago),
“Minhaj us Sawi’” (A Hadith compendium in 2 volumes compiled in the pattern and style of Imam Nawawi’s “Riyad us-Salihin رياض الصالحين” and Khatib Tabrizi’s “Mishkat al-Masabih” Consisting of approximately 1,000 pages)
“Mawlid an-Nabi”, the largest ever written work on the subject of Mawlid consisting of approximately a 1,000 pages.

The entire income of Qadri’s published books, DVDs/CDs of his lectures is dedicated forever on his behalf to his organisation Minhaj-ul-Quran International which is usually published inside his books.

His main English works include:

Irfan ul Quran (Modern and Scientific English translation of the Quran)
Introduction to the Fatwa on Terrorism
Beseeching for Help
Creation of Man
Pearls of Remembrance
Islam on Prevention of Heart Diseases
Islamic Concept of Intermediation
The Constitution of Madina (First ever written constitution)
Islamic Concept of Knowledge (Al Ilm)
Greetings and Salutations on the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم)
Islam and Politics
The Islamic State
The Ghadir Declaration
Virtues of Sayyedah Fatimah
Political career
Main article: Pakistan Awami Tehreek

On May 25, 1989, Qadri founded a political party Pakistan Awami Tehreek or PAT. The main aims of this political party were to introduce the culture of true democracy, economic stability, improve the state of human rights, justice and the women's role in Pakistan. Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) other aim was to remove corruption from Pakistani politics.

In 1990, Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) participated in the national elections just one year after it was founded. In 1991, PAT and TNFJ (Tehreek-e-Nifas-e-Fiqh-e-Jafria A shia political group) now known as Tehreek-e-Jafria signed a 'Communique of Unity' in order to promotes social and religious harmony. In another creative move, PAT for the first time in the political history of Pakistan, introduced an idea of "working relationship" between the three national political forces, PAT, TNFJ and Tehreek-e-Istaqlal.

From 1989 to 1993, Qadri continuously worked as an opposition leader tying to indicate the government's mistakes and to suggest ways for improving the situation in the political, educational, and economical fields. In 1992 he presented a complete working plan for interest-free banking in Pakistan covering all kinds of national and international transaction which was recognized and appreciated by all sections of the society including industrial and banking professionals. PAT offices were also opened in major foreign countries.

Qadri continued his research alongside his political career and, in 1996 he presented a thesis on the utilization of an observatory for moon sighting based on the more recent scientific findings.

He was elected as an MNA (Member of the National Assembly) of his Lahore constituent on the Pakistani National Parliament and after one year resigned and continoued His working on Islamic Research.