Muslim leaders, dignitaries express condolences on passing of Al-Qaradawi

According to Anadolu Agency, al-Qaradawi's son Abdul Rahman Yusuf, in a telephone conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said al-Qaradawi never stopped believing in what he believed in, and he was the best example to follow in reconciling the principles of Islam and life.

"May Allah SWT glorify him in heaven and have mercy on him," he added.

Qatar's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al-Thani expressed his condolences to the al-Qaradawi family on the death of the scholar.

"He has spent his life to serve the religion and the country", added the Minister.

Qatar's Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs in a statement on Monday said Arab countries and Muslims have lost a respected scholar who defended Islamic issues, and had a great impact in spreading Islamic Sharia, as well as preaching with wisdom based on the principle of 'wasatiyyah' (moderation).

In Pakistan, Jamaat-e-Islami's chief Siraj ul Haq said via Twitter that al-Qaradawi has dedicated his life to serving Islam, education, advocacy, and defending the interests of the country.

In Tunisia, Ennahda party's head Rached Ghannouchi in his statement on Twitter asserted that al-Qaradawi had worked tirelessly to uphold Islamic law throughout his life. "The principle of wasatiyyah and simplicity in life was also his focus during his life", he said.

In Malaysia, Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah was also saddened by Qaradawi's passing.

"He is a leading scholar-activist who is very important in Islamic thought and movement around the world. Al-Fathihah," he said.

At the same time, Senator Datuk Dr. Zulkifli Mohamad al-Bakri in his official Facebook statement described al-Qaradawi as one of the Sheikhs of the Ummah (community of Muslims) who is a role model for Muslims around the world.

"It is no exaggeration to say that today's scholars mostly take advantage of the sequence of his works which are very beneficial to the ummah. All of them are indebted to his knowledge where a large part of his life has been dedicated to the ummah", added the former minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs).

Several leaders of various other Islamic and political parties also expressed their condolences, including Hamas, the family of former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, former President of the International Union of Muslim Scholars Sheikh Dr Ahmad al-Raysuni, and many more.

Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi died on Monday at the age of 97. The Egyptian scholar lives in Qatar and is the chairman of the International Union of Islamic Scholars, as well as the mursyidul (adviser) of the Muslim Brotherhood.

The funeral prayer for the body was conducted at the Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab Mosque, and will be buried at the Mesaimeer cemetery, Qatar.