MQI: A harbinger of hope, love & peace

The 40th foundation day of Minhaj-ul-Quran International (MQI) is being celebrated on October 17, 2020. It is a historic moment. The organisation that Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri founded four decades ago has expanded its network and presence across the world in all the continents including Pakistan. Today, millions of the people in the world are benefiting from the Islamic message of peace, love, knowledge, and tolerance and are enlightening their hearts and minds with the light of the real teachings of Islam.

On this historic occasion, the hundreds of thousands of followers and workers of MQI deserve to be congratulated for their services, contributions, and sacrifices. We also pray for the long and healthy life of Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri. May he continue to provide intellectual and scholarly guidance to Muslims around the world!

Allah Almighty has enabled MQI to spread its peaceful and inclusive message from the East to the West. Today, Islam is being seen as a symbol of love and peace. An example of MQI's global outreach is the grant of consultative status to it by the United Nations. Shaykh-ul-Islam was specially invited by the OIC to one of its meetings in 2019 as an acknowledgment of his global services where he delivered a lecture on the promotion of peace and brotherhood. It is, no doubt, a great honour for the people that an organization that took birth in Pakistan has grown into a worldwide global network working as an advocate of peace and interfaith harmony whose services are held in high esteem.

It goes to the credit of MQI that it has always abided by local and international laws, traditions, and values in terms of performance of its multiple roles as a reformist, welfare organization. It is for this reason that the organization is globally known as a peaceful body working for the promotion of the shared values of humanity. If the services of MQI are to be described briefly, it is that it has worked hard day in and day out to remove the label of terrorism from the peaceful face of Islam, saved the world from the 'Takfiri' ideology, raised the banner of Jihad against religious radicalism and founded the culture of dialogue between civilizations and religions.

The enemies of Islam tried their level best to associate Islam with terrorism, a conspiracy foiled by Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri through the thousands of his scholars and students who rose to the challenge of engaging the peace-loving citizens of the world. Shaykh-ul-Islam often says that the credit for the revivalist work undertaken by MQI goes to hundreds of thousands of the workers who have been at the forefront of the efforts to promote peace, interfaith dialogue, and harmony in the world.

The age we are living in today is characterized by mischiefs. The beliefs that we hold dear to us are under constant attack. The youths are being disenchanted with research, science, and the teachings of the Holy Quran and Sunna. The light of knowledge is being challenged by the deluge of darkness. The Muslim youth is being exposed to the poison of extremism. A culture of violence is being promoted at the place of knowledge and books. In such a dire situation, MQI is one such platform that is educating the youth about the core values of peace, love, as well as the importance of knowledge, research, and book reading.

Allah Almighty be thanked millions of times that MQI has continued to serve humanity in terms of knowledge sharing, the promotion of peace, and the spiritual and moral reform of society for the last four decades under the patronage of Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri. The core message of Islam, one that is based on human brotherhood and love has been conveyed to millions of people in these 40 years. MQI has undertaken this onerous task by rising above any kind of narrow considerations and has fully dedicated itself to the promotion of the teachings of the Holy Quran and Sunna. The hundreds of Islamic cultural centers that have been set up in the world are busy propagating these teachings.

MQI has rendered exemplary services in the field of education. More than 1.5 lac students are getting inexpensive but quality education in the educational institutions set up by MQI such as Minhaj University Lahore, COSIS, Minhaj College for Women, and hundreds of schools under the Minhaj Education Society. Thanks to the efforts of MQI in this vital area, the literacy rate has increased. MQI has provided job opportunities to the educated youth across the country through the educational institutions.

More than 600 books out of 1000 authored by Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri have been published on the platform of MQI so far. These scholarly works are benefiting generations in the Muslim and non-Muslim world. MQI forums such as Minhaj Youth League, Minhaj Women League, Mustafavi Students Movement, Ulama Council, Directorate of Training and Dawa, Media, and Minhaj TV are the sources through which the message of peace, harmony and brotherhood is being spread.

MQI continues to remain active in the provision of welfare services to the suffering humanity in addition to its reformist and religious role. Minhaj Welfare Foundation, a subsidiary organization of MQI, has launched various flagship projects that are aimed at helping humanity without any discrimination of caste, creed, and color. The educational stipend scheme is benefiting thousands of students to get an education. Other important projects include collective marriage ceremonies, the provision of clean drinking water, employment scheme, and the relief and rehabilitation of those affected by natural disasters. MWF is also running Orphan Care Home by the name of Aghosh where orphan children are being provided with top-class residential and educational facilities. The project is being replicated in other cities to reach as many needy and deserving children as possible.