Journal Article

מציאת האיזון בין שמרנות לפרגמטיות בקרב הקהילה המוסלמית בארצות הברית: הגותו של השיח' יאסר קאדי כמקרה מבחן

Ben David, Elad

2023

Overview

sidered one of America’s most famous intellectual enior imams, Sheikh Dr. Yasir Qadhi is among the generation of young America imams to have burst into Western public awareness in the post-9/11 era. In the 1990s, Qadhi was a devoted Salafist. However, the 9/11 attacks, as well as his doctoral studies on Islamic theology at Yale University (2005–2013), influenced and reformed many of his worldviews, causing him to adapt a more moderate and pragmatic stance. This article’s primary argument is that Qadhi represents a case study of the American Islamic reform mindset in the post-9/11 era, which attempted to reconcile the tension between conservative and pragmatic Islamic trends and contemporary American reality. These imams try to maintain Islam’s essential principles while bravely confronting contemporary issues that must be examined afresh. The article explores Islam in America in the post-9/11 era, Qadhi’s complex biography, and a variety of case studies in Qadhi’s doctrine that are relevant to the American Muslim minority. Qadhi’s Islamic rulings manifest his affinity for Wasati scholars such as Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi and shed light on one of Qadhi’s primary goals – the preservation of Islam in America and the West for future generations.