Yusuf Qaradawi quotes

Yusuf Qaradawi was an influential Egyptian Islamic scholar and theologian, widely known for his contributions to contemporary Islamic thought. His television programs and writings reached millions across the Muslim world, shaping discussions on religious, social, and political issues. He was considered a leading voice for moderate Islam and was the head of the International Union of Muslim Scholars. Here are 11 of his quotes:

There are many democracies in our Arab and Islamic countries, but unfortunately, they are all false democracies.

Yusuf Qaradawi

The Iraqis have a country that inherited cultures thousands of years old while the Americans have a culture only two hundred years old. Two hundred years will teach thousands of years!? Oh Americans, leave Iraq for its people.

Yusuf Qaradawi

(God) gives the weak a weapon for self-defense that the strong, despite his military and nuclear arsenals, can do nothing against. There are clerics who condemn this and even say that these are suicide operations that are not allowed in Islam.

Yusuf Qaradawi

The Jews caused us a great injustice, the greatest injustice. They have expelled our people, stolen our land, shed our brothers' blood, and are still shedding blood, and there should be no contact between them and us.... we will not agree to meet with them until our problem with the Zionist entity and those Westerners and Christians who support them, is solved.

Yusuf Qaradawi

We use trains and planes, but they are not our trains or planes. The (Westerners) manufacture them and export them to us.... We own them, but we don't manufacture them. We don't even produce a single nail in any of these cars.... Islam teaches us to do things professionally. Doing things professionally is a religious duty.... The Prophet said that Allah ordered to excel in everyhting.... Even when killing, you must do well.... We import everything from needles to missiles. This is our nation. We still haven't manufactured an engine in our Arab countries. We assemble parts, but have no manufacturing industries.

Yusuf Qaradawi

There are clerics who oppose martyrdom operations in Palestine. By these operations Allah has compensated the Palestinians for their lack of strength. They do not, as the Zionists do, have Apache helicopters, warplanes, tanks, missiles. Allah has compensated them for this with these human bombs. This is divine justice.

Yusuf Qaradawi

Millions marched in countries that participated in the war in Iraq, in Britain, Spain, and Italy. Their governments went to war, but the peoples protested against this in the millions. Am I allowed to kill theses people?!...We want [the attackers] to understand the religion and to know what is forbidden. They have a flaw in their understanding of Jihad. They believe that Jihad means fighting the entire world. Who has said such a thing?

Yusuf Qaradawi

Judaism is the No. 1 propagator of violence.... the Torah itself states that when you enter a certain country, you must offer peace, and if they agree, all their residents are your slaves. In other countries, you should not offer peace or conversion. You must destroy them all, do not leave a living soul. In the first country you must slay all males and leave only the women, but in the second country, you must not leave... you must uproot them. This is in Judaism, in the Torah.

Yusuf Qaradawi

Host: In a nutshell, is what happened Islamic or un-Islamic? Qaradhawi: The truth is that what happened is a reaction to these barbaric acts (in Abu Ghureib prison)...I say that the general atmosphere affects behavior... Even though Islam states that prisoners should be treated decently, there are those who allow killing a prisoner in certain circumstances.

Yusuf Qaradawi