ABSTRACT
Before we can embark on a meaningful analysis of Yūsuf al-Qaraḍāwī's (b. 1926) language, we need to put his discourse in context. Who is he, and what are the central features of his thought? By the European media, he is often described in terms such as ‘firebrand cleric’ (Ungoed-Thomas and Berry 2004) or, in less hostile presenta- tions, as a scholar with a ‘streetwise touch’ (Bowcott and al Yafai 2004). Neither characterization hits the mark. Although Yūsuf al-Qaraḍāwī sometimes lends religious backing to the use of violence, he is mainstream more than firebrand, and although popular among Muslims all over the world he has certainly not got a ‘streetwise touch’. On the contrary, he is very dignified and anxious to uphold traditional Islamic etiquette, in both his dress and his way of talking about religious issues.
