Yūsuf al-Qaraḍāwī: An Ideologue for Muslim Minorities

Abstract

Yūsuf al-Qaraḍāwī (b. 1926) is one of the most prominent Muslim figures and Sunni religious authorities in contemporary time. His authority derives from a complex combination of credentials. Early in his life, he was a graduate of al-Azhar,1 the most prestigious Islamic university in the world; the head of the Imam’s Institute, Egyptian Ministry of Endowments; a staff member in the Department of Islamic Culture at al-Azhar; and a member of the Muslim Brothers, one of the leading Islamic activism organizations in the twentieth century.2 In 1961, his authority became more pronounced after his settlement in Qatar and going on the air with a TV program and a Radio fatwas broadcast, not to mention the proliferation of his writings. These writings would include Al-Ḥalāl wa-al-Ḥarām, Fiqh al-Zakāh, and Fatawa Mu͑āṣirah. Al-Qaraḍāwī’s scholarship, books, research papers, and articles exceed 120 titles, and many of his works were translated into various world languages.3 In the 1990s and the 2000s, al-Qaraḍāwī’s authority went international after he became the president of transnational organizations such as the European Council for Fatwa and Research (ECFR) and the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS). He was also a forerunner in utilizing modern technology in his da͑wah activities.