Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr. Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, founder and patron-in-chief of Minhaj-ul-Quran International, addressed an intellectual and spiritual session at Madinat al-Zahra in Bradford, UK.
In his talk, he stated that there are four enemies that lead a person away from the straight path: enslavement to the ego, unrestrained desires, love of the world, and pride in one’s own abilities
Dr. Tahir-ul-Qadri warned that uncontrolled desires, materialism, arrogance, and conceit are paths to destruction. Allah loves the tone of humility and gratitude. Every story in the Holy Qur’an carries a moral lesson and a message of spiritual development.
Dr. Qadri cited the example of Satan, who was cast out despite his vast knowledge and worship because he prioritized his own lineage and intellect over the command of the Creator and refused to bow to Adam. His arrogance led to his eternal disgrace.
He emphasized that pride in one’s talents, lineage, and power is a satanic trait and should be avoided. These four enemies—the ego, unchecked desires, worldly attachment, and pride in one’s abilities—divert a person from the path of righteousness and lead to spiritual decline. Satan doesn’t attack directly but uses these causes as tools.
Dr. Tahir-ul-Qadri Qadri urged that only those deeds are truly beneficial which are done solely for the pleasure of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ. Therefore, the center of every intention and action should be the Divine Being. He advised continual engagement with the words of Allah and His Prophet ﷺ, as ceasing to listen leads inevitably to forgetfulness.
He further stated that one must express gratitude to Allah in all circumstances for every success and ability. Words of gratitude serve as protection against satanic attacks. Illustrating with an analogy, he said: "When a driver, proud of his skills, exceeds the speed limit out of overconfidence, he eventually loses control. By the time he realizes it, it's often too late." He concluded by advising people to always act with moderation, humility, and thankfulness, recognizing that all strength, skill, and ability are blessings from Allah.
Participants in the training session included Allama Muhammad Afzal Saeedi, Syed Ali Abbas Bukhari, Seerat Ali Khan, Muazzam Raza, Ahsan Khan, Zoh-al-Hasan, Allama Sajid Qadri, Mufti Wajid Hussain, Allama Hamza Mahmood, Allama Syed Sultan Hussain Mashhadi, and Allama Noor Hussain.
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