Barelvis’ fatwa against reading ISIS leaflets

Sunni Barelvis clerics’ pass fatwa against reading ISIS leaflets

In what’s being seen as an important fatwa, the Sunni Barelvi clerics of the influential Dargah Aala Hazrat have said reading literature of ISIS or any other terrorist organization on social media and other platforms or promoting it is against Islam as Islam does not support the ideology of terrorist organizations.

In response to a query from Kausar Raza Khan who reside in Jaipur (Rajasthan), the cleric at Dargah Aala Hazrat on Tuesday passed fatwa against reading materials posted by ISIS, Taliban and other terrorist organizations. “These terrorist organizations are non-Islamic groups and are agents of anti-Islamic forces. In Hadith (references to Quran penned by noted religious leaders of the Prophet’s era), it is mentioned that people should maintain safe distance from groups working against humanity. Hence, as per the Islamic law, reading or promoting literature of ISIS is against Islam as we do not support their ideology,” said Mufti Mohammed Saleem Noori, the cleric who passed the fatwa. He added that in Quran, it is stated that killing one innocent person is equivalent to killing entire humanity.

The cleric said that with the passage of this fatwa, people, especially youngsters, will become aware that reading the materials of terrorist organizations is against Islamic law and they will avoid reading it. “We have been reading in newspapers about the cases in India and other parts of the world wherein youth are getting self-radicalised after reading materials of terrorist organizations online. These literatures are influencing youth who are ready to join ISIS and others. Even few youth are using social networking sites and other platform to motivate others to become part of these organizations,” said Noori. He added that the literatures and videos of terrorist organizations is misleading youth in such a manner that even non-Muslims in other parts of the world are getting influence and want to join them.

For the past one year, the Dargah Aala Hazrat is working against terrorism. At Jamia Razviya Manazar-E-Islam madrassa in Bareilly, which is run by this shrine, the clerics last year introduced a specialization within the Hadith course, titled ‘Islam and terrorism’. The course offers the students chance to compare the original text from the Quran with translations offered by terrorist groups in a bid to show how religious texts are misused. Besides, clerics are also conducting regular workshops at madrassa for other students to show how religion is abused to spread terrorism and influence young and impressionable student.

Even on the last day of Urs-e-Razvi of Dargah Aala Hazrat on December 8 last year, nearly 70,000 clerics came together and passed a fatwa against terrorist organizations, including ISIS, Taliban and Al Qaida. These are “not Islamic organizations,” the clerics said, adding that the members of these were “not Muslims”. Around 15 lakh followers who visited the Urs also put their signatures to a document circulated at the Urs, protesting terrorist strikes.

Times of India