Religious scholars hold great importance in Pakistan, particularly during times of natural disasters and periods of global and national oppression. People often look up to Islamic scholars, hoping they will raise their voices about issues affecting the Muslim Ummah. While many scholars actively work and pray for global peace, some have faced criticism for making remarks that are perceived as discouraging or dismissive of Muslims’ religious efforts.
A recent episode of Aik News HD’s popular programme Qutub Online, hosted by Bilal Qutub, sparked backlash after religious scholar Dr. Ali Waqar Qadri made remarks about Muslims praying to Allah.
During the programme, Dr. Ali Waqar Qadri said:
“We pray to Allah, but when we sink, we go to the USA. We pray, ‘Make Gaza win, destroy Israel, remove corruption from Pakistan.’ Allah must have been laughing at these duas. We give responsibilities to Allah in dua, and He says, ‘I gave you intelligence, a book, a code of conduct, and a way of life,’ yet we give tasks to Allah. The Sahaba used to worship and also used to be in war zones.”
The remarks drew strong criticism on social media, with many users expressing outrage over the reference to Allah laughing at Muslims’ duas. One user wrote, “Did he really say, ‘Nauzubillah, Allah must have been laughing’? Please have some shame and think before you speak.” Another commented, “These are the things politicians are supposed to do. If they don’t play their part, we can only pray. It is also mentioned in a Hadith that dua is a Muslim’s weapon.” One user brought up the Battle of Badr, writing, “During Ghazwa-e-Badr, Hazrat Muhammad (S.A.W.W.) prayed throughout the night and asked Allah for help.” Another user said that Dr. Ali Waqar Qadri should apologize for his statement, calling it “a mockery of Muslims and Allah’s powers.” One social-media user also criticized the reaction of the guests, writing, “How shamelessly they are laughing at their own insensitive joke.” Read the comments.
