Takfir and Disrespect Are Weakening the Ummah: Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr. Tahir-ul-Qadri

"If our thinking is broad-minded, we can still be united even if we are not the same."
Address at the Harmony and Unity of the Ummah Conference in Glasgow, Scotland – Attended by a large number of scholars

Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr. Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, founder and patron-in-chief of Minhaj-ul-Quran International, delivered a keynote address at the "Inter-Sectarian Harmony and Unity of the Ummah Conference" held at Jamia Al-Furqan in Glasgow, Scotland. He emphasized that takfir (declaring others as disbelievers) and mutual disrespect are weakening the Muslim Ummah. He stated, “If we have breadth in our thinking and vision, we can still be united even if we are not identical.”

The conference was attended by a large number of esteemed scholars, religious academics, imams of mosques, and Islamic teachers from all schools of thought. It was the first and largest conference of its kind in Scotland. Upon arrival at the Jamia Al-Furqan Islamic Center, Dr. Tahir-ul-Qadri was warmly welcomed by Syed Tufail Shah, head of UK Islamic Mission, Dr. Javed Nadwi, and other scholars from various sects.

In his address, Shaykh-ul-Islam said that as long as different schools of thought engage in healthy, research-based dialogue, it will only result in goodness for society. Islam is a divine religion that connects hearts. If, instead of fostering love and unity through religious education, preaching, and propagation, we are witnessing division, conflict, and hostility—and if instead of applause, speeches are being met with insults—then it’s time for immediate self-accountability. One must free their soul from the iron grip of Satan, because Islam promotes an atmosphere of love and purity, not hostility and pollution.

He drew a parallel: just as the body's organs—heart, brain, hands, feet, eyes—work together to form a healthy, functional body, similarly, the diverse schools of thought in the Ummah each represent different aspects of the truth of Islam, and their cooperation creates unity and harmony.

Dr. Qadri explained:

Some schools focus on the heart—emphasizing spirituality, divine love, and Sufism.

Others represent the mind—prioritizing knowledge, logic, and intellectual reasoning.

Some are like the eyes—stressing strict adherence to the outward commandments of Shariah.

Others function like the hands—focusing on public service and social reform as the soul of religion.

Shaykh-ul-Islam warned that if any organ of the body exceeds its limits, the body becomes ill; likewise, if any sect believes it alone holds the truth and begins to excommunicate and insult others, it harms Islam and weakens the Ummah.

In conclusion, he stated that unity does not mean uniformity; rather, true unity lies in embracing diversity and discovering common ground.