(Washington Insider Magazine)-Yusuf al-Qaradawi was an influential Muslim scholar known for holding strong and controversial stances on religious and government issues in Egypt throughout his lifetime.
Yusuf al-Qaradawi was a spiritual leader throughout the Muslim world and died on Monday at age 96. His death sparked Twitter users to take to their phones and tweet about the influential scholar.
One user wrote that his death is a big loss for the Muslim faith and may Allah SWT forgive him and grant him the highest place in Jannah.
Another user weighed in with, “Yusuf al-Qaradawi is no more among us. May Allah almighty bless him with highest rank in Jannah for his great work and sacrifices for the Muslim Ummah. Ameen.
In addition to being one of the most recognized voices in the Muslim world, Yusuf al-Qaradawi was a member of the International Union of Muslim Scholars. He wrote more than 100 books and published nearly 60 scholarly papers throughout his life.
Yusuf al-Qaradawi rejected the ideals of colonial Egypt and combined his religious education with anti-government activism. His activism efforts also led to his arrest several times throughout his life for speaking out against British control and the Muslim Brotherhood.
Yusuf al-Qaradawi brought religious leaders of different faiths together to eliminate hate speech and make the world a better place. His early works also aimed to interpret the rules of Islam to help Muslims integrate into societies that don’t have a high Muslim population.
While Yusuf al-Qaradawi was a staunch advocate for anti-government establishments, he was a proponent of suicide bombings in Israel and showed support for Iraq during the invasion of 2003 that involved Saddam Hussein.
He donated over $20 million to a Hamas-led infrastructure expansion in 2019. Hamas denies the allegations, but information obtained by Shin Bet was enough for them to publicly accuse Yusuf al-Qaradawi of backing Hamas.
Although slightly controversial at times, Yusuf al-Qaradawi’s legacy will have a lasting impact on the Muslim world for decades to come.
