Barelviat Ka Osho
**Jhang has produced two prominent figures, one a bombastic Jhangvi and the other a spiritual Jhangvi. One was enamored with spirituality and politics, while the other embodied clericalism. The latter, Haq Nawaz Jhangvi, ultimately succumbed to his own extremism. In contrast, the former, Allama Tahir ul-Qadri, emerged shrewdly from the Eastern lands and the snowy terrains of Canada.**
**Tahir ul-Qadri is a rather diverse personality, sporting a half-Qaraqli cap, wearing a long robe reminiscent of Rajneesh Osho, possessing a mystical temperament, a philosophical discourse, indulging in bohemian pursuits, and leading a royal lifestyle. He is an extraordinary orator; when he speaks, it feels as if Ibn Khaldun’s thesis has been given a voice. His words flow abundantly during his speeches. When he concludes, he seems to leap higher than Rumi himself in his discourse. Due to his Sufi disposition, he sometimes allows intellect to yield to the heart. Once, he recounted a dream in which the Prophet appeared and instructed him to come to Pakistan and be his host at a specific hotel, after which Wahhabis launched a full-scale attack on him.**
**Tahir ul-Qadri is an annual package of Islam. His teachings encompass politics, philosophical thought, and an abundance of Sufism. Generally, Sufis are not political, but he is a notably political Sufi. He conducts lectures on the Masnavi of Rumi at Minhaj-ul-Quran in Lahore and is also seen elucidating the intricacies of politics at D-Chowk in Islamabad.**
**Born into a Sufi family, Tahir ul-Qadri was significantly shaped by Sheikh Tahir Alauddin Qadri, who was a custodian of the shrine of Ghous Pak in Iraq before relocating to Pakistan. He was exceptionally intelligent and well-versed in the art of building relationships.**
**He founded the organization Minhaj-ul-Quran, authored the Tafsir al-Quran, and has written dozens of pamphlets. Minhaj-ul-Quran serves as the intellectual franchise of the Barelvi school of thought, reflecting a balance of modernity, Sufism, and politics. Primarily, Tahir ul-Qadri himself is quite influenced by modernism, yet he does not wish to entirely abandon traditional religious thought. He has found a moderate path, avoiding direct confrontation with the mainstream, and navigates through challenges like extracting a hair from butter.**
**Qadri perceives Islam as a system. He believes that to change the fate of the country, a revolution in thought is necessary, grounded in Islamic teachings, after which the economy and politics will operate under Islam. He is a strong proponent of Ijtihad and meticulously extracts democratic principles from every corner of the era of the Rightly Guided Caliphs. He then, through rhetorical maneuvering, transforms democracy into theocracy. He excavates seventy clauses from the Charter of Medina to compose a booklet titled the Charter of Democracy.**
**While delineating the difference between Western theocracy and Islamic theocracy, he states, “In Western theocracy, a religious elite class imposes its power in the name of God, whereas in Islamic theocracy, the acceptance of God’s sovereignty is necessary from the entire society, rather than a specific religious elite.” (Referencing his lecture: Islamic State)**
**I have always held a disagreement with those who speak of changing systems and present religion as a system. Religions are inherently moral. They are not political or economic. Prophets did not come to elucidate the mysteries of politics, nor did they present philosophies of democracy or authoritarianism, nor was their mission to provide economic theories or to effect change through revolutions; in fact, it often leads to worse outcomes.**
**Tahir ul-Qadri desires to elevate Islam alongside a modern approach. He differentiates between religion and faith, stating, “Memorizing the books of Fiqh and Hadith is religious education, but finding a way to adapt these teachings to the modern era for practical application is religious education.”**
**The effort to align religious education with modernity was a source of mental turmoil for 20th-century Muslim thinkers, who, unable to withstand modernism, tried to downgrade their religious interpretations against the brilliance of modernity. In this attempt, they committed numerous blunders. They extracted economic and political philosophies from religion that were not the aim of religion. The revolutionary effort to harmonize religion with the modern era often dilutes its essence. Religion naturally evolves and harmonizes with time, yet its result tends to manifest more in the cultural realm than in economics and politics.**
**Tahir ul-Qadri holds a rather homeopathic view of the concept of jihad, favoring a spiritual jihad over a violent one. He strongly recoils from bombastic jihad. He authored a substantial fatwa titled “Terrorism and Suicide Bombing,” in which he asserted that Islam has no connection with terrorism or suicide bombings. At that time, Musharraf’s government was in power, and the U.S. was heavily invested in the War on Terror, leading to the widespread acceptance of Qadri’s fatwa. However, he failed to explain why, if Islam has no ties to suicide bombings, figures like Tara Singh, Ashok Kumar, or Peter Jackson do not strap on explosives; instead, it is always Abdullah, Fazlullah, Osama, or Tariq who do so. Books like “Fidai Dastay” from Islamic history were not penned by priests or pundits but by our clerics, who prepared these bombers’ minds. If all this has no relation to Islam, then to whom does it belong?**
**Occasionally, Qadri experiences an inclination towards practical revolution. His last bout was during the partnership in the dharna with Khan a decade ago. Since then, he has sought to spark a Wi-Fi revolution in Pakistan from Canada. According to internal sources, Qadri was also brought to incite revolution at military behest but soon retreated. Among revolutionary thinkers, he emerges as the most prudent.**
**Neither Maududi nor Dr. Israr could achieve much for their families, yet Qadri enjoys a five-star lifestyle. I refer to him as the Osho of Barelvis. Osho, too, left India for America, establishing a haven where he was the superstar. He adorned himself in expensive garments, never stepping out of limousines or Mercedes, and spoke in fancy English. Qadri, too, has made a significant effort; he left Pakistan for Canada, teaches lessons in poverty alongside a branded lifestyle. He enjoys a luxurious life, alongside his sons, on the assets of Minhaj-ul-Quran, while continually serving up his intellectual revolution like pakoras fried in the cauldron of Sufism.**
**With the most expensive vehicles, lavish five-star celebrations for his grandchild’s wedding, not one follower has questioned where such wealth came from for an Allama hailing from a middle-class family in Jhang.**
**A wealthy pir does not exist; he is made into one by his disciples.**
