TAHIRUL QADRI – BACKGROUND OF EVENTS IN SOUTH AFRICA

What were the events surrounding the issue of Tahirul Qadri? Why was there so much of opposttion from the Ulema-Ahle Sunnah? Could this issue have been avoided or resolved? What are the points of dispute that the Ulema-e-Ahle Sunnah have against Tahirul Qadri? Is this man a Sunni? These and many other questions will be discussed in this treatise. We will begin by first giving you some background information of events. In 1992, when it was learnt that a prominent Sunni family, supported by certain Molvis and individuals, were deciding to bring Professor Tahirul Qadri to South Africa, a Sunni United Conference was held on the 9th of November 1992 at the Masjid-Noore-Mustafa in Chatsworth, Durban. An overwhelming majority of Sunni Ulema present ACCEPTED a resolution, which highlighted that Tahirul Qadri is misled and was misleading others. The resolution passed also stated that Tahirul Qadri’s visit was unwelcome to South Africa because of his history in causing disunity in countries that he visited. Sheikh-ul-Hadith MUFTI GHULAM SARWAR QADRI, an advisor to the Shari’ah Court of Pakistan, and also a very well respected personality among Sunnis, was also present at this meeting. HE PLAYED A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE BY SUBMITTING FIRST-HAND EVIDENCES OF TAHIRUL QADRI’S CORRUPT BELIEFS AND MISCHIEVOUS TEACHINGS. (In 1988, this same Mufti Ghulam Sarwar Al Qadri challenged and struck a defeating blow to the Ahmadis in Cape Town).

Subsequent to this significant meeting, the Ulema-Ahle Sunnah, both locally and internationally, advised this family not to invite this controversial “professor” to South Africa, as this will certainly polarise the Sunni community of this country. This issue continued to be a matter of great concern among the Ulema-e-Ahle Sunnah. THIS PROMINENT SUNNI FAMILY AND THEIR SUPPORTERS WERE GIVEN AMPLE WARNINGS AND PROOFS OF TAHIRUL QADRI’S CORRUPT BELIEFS AND MISCHIEVOUS TEACHINGS, BUT THEY DID NOT PAY ANY HEED TO THESE WARNINGS.

We were certain that these legitimate grievances and objections ventilated by not only the local Ulema-e-Ahle Sunnah, but the vast majority of the Ulema of international calibre from the indo-Pak subcontinent would create some measure of impact on this family on their decision to import this “Fitnah-Taahiriyah” from Pakistan. However, it became abundantly obvious that this family ARROGANTLY BRUSHED ASIDE AND ENTIRELY IGNORED THE GENUINE AND PASSIONATE PLEAS AND APPEALS FROM THE VOICES OF REASON. They defiantly went ahead and imported this Fitnah to this country. PROFESSOR’S ARRIVAL IN SOUTH AFRICA ON THE 2ND OF APRIL 1993 HERALDED AN ERA OF ANIMOSITY AND DISUNITY in the Beloved Ummah of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) in South Africa.

Due to this state of affairs, Hazrat Allama Mufti Mohammed Akhtar Raza Khan Azhari AI-Qaderi, the President of the All India Sunni Jamiatul Ulema and the Head Mufli of Central Darul Ifaah – Bareilly Shareef, and Muhaddith-e-Kabeer, Allama Zia-ul-Mustapha Al-Qaderi, Sheik-ul-Hadith and Principal of Jamia Amjadia Razawiyya, arrived in Durban (South Africa) to remove the doubts and misconceptions spun around Tahirul Qadri’s controversial personality and to determine his claim to Sunniyat.