Yusuf al-Qaradawi invokes Allahs Mercy upon the Pope!
Summary of what he said:
"Today we will be taking about a banner but not from banners of Muslims, but he was a banner from among the banners of Christianity and he is Pope John Paul II.and it becames incumbent upon us that we send our condolence to the ummah of Christ and the Bishops of Vatican and other than Vatican and in rest of the world of them who were our friends, we meet them on my occasions. He was sincere in his religion and very active in spreading faith in message (of Christ), and he had political positions which can be recorded in his good deeds. We can do nothing except invoke Allah the Exalt that He have mercy upon him and reward him in proportion to what he put forth of good towards humanity and for his past good deeds or good impact and we send our condolence to the christians all over the world and to our friends in Rome and we ask Allah that he compensate Christian nation with good. "
Though the topic may be irrelevant to many, it is very important that we as Muslims are aware of where and from whom we acquire our knowledge. The nations before, those from the Jews and Christians, whose rabbis and priests corrupted and perverted their religion were followed to the point in which they made halal haram, and haram halal. Though I am not making any comparison between them and Al Qardawi, we cannot be negligent from whom we take our knowledge.
It is not fitting, for the Prophet and those who believe, that they should pray for forgiveness for Pagans, even though they be of kin, after it is clear to them that they are companions of the Fire.
[at-Tawba 9:113]
And Abraham prayed for his father's forgiveness only because of a promise he had made to him. But when it became clear to him that he was an enemy to Allah, he dissociated himself from him: for Abraham was most tender-hearted, forbearing.
[at-Tawba 9:114]
Verily, those who disbelieve, and die while they are disbelievers, it is they on whom is the Curse of Allâh and of the angels and of mankind, combined. (2:161)
As for those who disbelieved, their deeds are like a mirage in a desert. The thirsty one thinks it to be water, until he comes up to it, he finds it to be nothing. (24:39)
Subhaan Allah! We really need to be careful about from whom we're taking our Islamic knoweldge.