Abdalqadir as-Sufi
Abdalqadir as-Sufi (born Ian Stewart Dallas; 1930 – 1 August 2021) was a Shaykh of Instruction, leader of the Darqawi-Shadhili-Qadiri Tariqa, founder of the Murabitun World Movement and author of numerous books on Islam, Sufism and political theory. Born in Scotland, he was a playwright and actor before he converted to Islam in 1967 with the Imam of the Qarawiyyin Mosque in Fez, Morocco. Early life. Ian Dallas was born in Scotland in 1930 of a Highland family. He travelled extensively to Greece, France and Italy. In 1963 he acted in Federico Fellini's film  8½ as "Il partner della telepata". Conversion. As-Sufi converted to Islam in 1967 in Fes, Morocco as "Abdalqadir", witnessed by Abdalkarim Daudi, the Imam Khatib of the Qarawiyyin Mosque, and Alal al-Fasi. He then joined the Darqawi order as a student of Muhammad ibn al-Habib. He travelled to Morocco and Algeria with his Shaykh and was further instructed in Sufism by Sidi Hamud ibn al-Bashir of Blida and Sidi Fudul al-Huwari "as-Sufi" of Fes. Teaching. Abdalqadir as-Sufi advocated adherence to the original legal school of Islam, the tradition of the people of Medina  as recorded by Malik ibn Anas, since he considered this the primal formulation of Islamic society and a necessity for the re-establishment of Islam in the current age. Abdalqadir was responsible for the establishment of the Ihsan Mosque in Norwich, Norfolk, England, the Great Mosque of Granada, and the Jumu'a Mosque of Cape Town Abdalqadir as-Sufi taught that suicide terrorism is forbidden under Islamic law, that its psychological pattern stems from nihilism, and that it "draws attention away from the fact that capitalism has failed." He has stated that Britain is on "the edge of terminal decline" and  that only Britain's Muslim population can "revitalise this ancient realm". He wrote extensively on the importance of monarchy and personal rule. He regarded the face veil (or niqab) of Muslim women as unislamic, describing it as an "evil hinduisation of women". In 2006, he issued a fatwa, following a visit and speech given by then Pope Benedict XVI in Germany. In his "Fatwa Concerning the Deliberations of Pope Benedict XVI in Germany", he stated that "in my opinion, Pope Benedict XVI is guilty of insulting the Messenger of Allah". He was an early mentor of American Sufi scholar, Hamza  Yusuf. Murabitun World Movement. In February 2014 he distanced himself from the dinar and dirham movement, saying, "So, I now dis-associate myself from all activity involving the Islamic gold dinar and silver dirham". The other major condition of a correct Zakat, he argued, is the existence of personal rule, or Amirate, since Zakat is, by Qur'anic injunction, accepted rulings and established practice, taken by the leader, not given as a voluntary sadaqa. Death. As-Sufi died on 1 August 2021 in Cape Town, South Africa at the age of 91. Authorship. The author of more than 20 books and  several essays and articles, his books include: