World of Fatwas

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

On November 2nd, 2009 Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Hind, one of the leading Islamic organizations, (you might remember the Khilafat Movement) issued a "fatwa" declaring the national song "Vande Mataram" unislamic, asking muslims not to sing the song. This was the story in the media but what actualy happened? What is Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Hind? What is a fatwa and why is Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Hind issuing one now? What is the argument behind declaring vande mataram unislamic?

Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Hind is a leading Islamic organization in India. There are several organizations of Muslims of different sects who have issued a truckload of fatwas ever since Muhammad (pbuh) died. Although, no "fatwa" was issued on 2nd November 2009 by Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Hind, it did pass several resolutions that day.
Some of these resolutions were quite controversial. Here are the excerpts of few of them:

1. Resolution on Terrorism:
"Islam is a religion of peace " and "a blessing for the entire humanity." (duh... recently a question was asked to Anjum Chaudhary, an Islamic "scholar" in "Britannia", asking him whether Islam is a religion of peace. His response - "Islam is a religion of submission", to Allah of course).

Jihad is being maligned by "propaganda machines" as terrorism and they condemn "suicide bombings and murderous attacks that are targetted at "innocent" persons, women, children and elderly". (When Muslims say innocent they mean Muslims; non-Muslims are "guilty" of not believing in Islam!) They condemned terrorism and also criticized the government for its prejudice against Muslims.

2. Resolution on the implementation of Sachar committee report: They demanded that the "UPA" government should implement it. (Note that its not Govt. of India but the "UPA" government. And the use of the term UPA government continues in the rest of resolutions.)

3. Resolution on reservations for Muslims: "Muslims should be declared the most backward community." Muslims should be at par with Dalits.

4. Resolution on laws to prevent riots: A new law to avert communal riots is demanded. (But there is no need for POTA.)

5. Resolution on Babri Mosque: Take action against Babri Musjid perpetrators.

6. Resolution on Homosexuality: Against sexual anarchy and debauchery

7. Resolution on Women reservation bill:
"33% reservation for women is uncalled for. Attempt to bring women into the mainstream will create various other social problems issues including their security."

8. Resolution on Unity: Unity of Muslims, Dalits and other minorities to have effective stake in power (against caste Hindus of course and please remember that Islam is a religion of peace and a blessing for the entire humanity.)

9. Resolution against US in Afghanistan and Iraq and Israel in Palestine etc.

10. Resolution against Vande Mataram.
"Vande Mataram violates our faith in monotheism that is the foundation of our faith." "The fatwa of Darul Uloom is correct."

So they did not issue a fatwa but only passed a resolution affirming the validity and correctness of a fatwa (against Vande Mataram) issued by another organization, called Darul Uloom (House of Knowledge) in Deoband.

So what is a fatwa?

A fatwa in Arabic is a "legal" opinion issued by an ulema, a doctor of Islam. A believer can approach an ulema with a question about human life and the ulema is supposed to save the ordinary believer from "the travails of inquiry" in regard to the Quran. Jamiat-e-ulema-e-hind (Organization of Indian Scholars) can issue a fatwa (or any ulema for that matter) if asked a question by any Muslim and of course it can take any question suo moto and issue the decree. Darul Uloom Deoband issued a fatwa in 2006 declaring "Vande Mataram" unislamic.

One would imagine that the fatwas are issued in regards with public affairs or religious matters and their Islamic interpretation and solutions. However, the "World of Fatwas" is quite comprehensive and it covers all walks of life. Following are some of the questions which were posed by ordinary Muslims to the ulemas and fatwas were issued by these Islamic institutes against these questions. These questions are not only quite lurid but it is also shocking to know that ordinary Muslims seek the blessings of religious leaders on these private matters.


"If both man and woman have clothes on during the act (intercourse), is a bath necessary?(after the intercourse)" "If semen is emitted while one is awake, is bath required?" "Why does a bath become necessary when one has intercourse with a thick cloth tied around one's organ?" "A minor girl is raped; is a bath necessary for her?"

Many querist came up to the Darul-Ulema Deoband with such questions and Darul-Ulema issued fatwas against these questions. Even more wicked questions were raised by the believers and they were summarily answered by the Ulemas. We continue:

A querist asks "What is the hukum about the animal with which a man has had sexual intercourse - what is the hukum about the animal and the man?." "Zaid has had intercourse with a goat. What is the law in respect of her? Can we eat her flesh or drink her milk? And what is the law for him who has had the intercourse?" "Zaid had intercourse with a cow and then sold it. How should the money be spent?" The ulema promptly issued a fatwa based on his great scholarship of Islam - "If there is no ejaculation (inside the animal) its meat and milk are halal (edible), without question. But if there is ejaculation, it is better to kill the animal and bury its flesh. No one should eat it, though it is not haram to eat it".

Here's another question:
"After how many days should one remove pubic hair etc.? What is the sunnah method and what is better?" asks the querist. Notice that these querists consider that even these private matters require a ruling from Ulema and note the use of the word sunnah (sunnah is the sayings and living habits of Muhammad (pbuh.)), and that the querist, in this case, would like to follow the practice of Muhammad (pbuh.) The answer from the Ulema , of course, becomes the Islamic way of cutting one's pubic hair : - " ... It is also reported in a tradition that the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wa sallam) used to pare his nails and clip his mustache every Friday, shave off pubic hair after every twenty days and arm-pit hair every forty days (Al-Taliq al -Sabeeh Vol. IV, p. 405). Finis."

You can find many more fatwas here.

Here are some more interesting fatwas from the website of Darul Ulam Deoband. I have also provided the links to their website for those of you who are interested in the wicked "world of fatwas":

Pardon me but the language used here is really bad. However, I have only copy- pasted these from the website.

1. Question: 2624: Link

If a person did sex with feyancy's (sic) mother. Can he marry that girl or not? This situation was happened in our circumferences..... Shall we arrange marry for them or not?

Ans: If someone committed adultery with a woman then he cannot marry the daughter of the woman provided he confesses the adultery or it is proved by two fair witnesses.

2. Question: 6622 Link

IS Nikah break if someone have Anal Sex with his wife?

Ans: The nikah will not be broken but anal sex is haram, unlawful and sin. However, if one does intercourse into vagina from behind it is allowed.

3. Question: 6914 Link

Assaloalekum. On a very emotional night I had sexual intercourse with my sister in law( my saali) due to this she got pregnant.Can I marry with my sister in law.My wife is alive but she give us permission to marry.

Ans: You can not marry your sister-in-law as long as your wife is in your nikah. It is haram for a person to marry two sisters in a time; it has been prohibited in the Holy Quran. It is not allowed for you to do the Nikah even if your wife allows, while she is in your Nikah, to marry her sister unless your wife gets separation from you completely. Both of you (you yourself and your sister-in-law) should repent sincerely from this grave sin (adultery), seek forgiveness from Allah, get separated form each other immediately and have no further relation with each other.

4. Question: 3136 Link

Askm i want to know about folowing dreams 1. i saw this dream before subah sadiq .i saw two dead person ,a male and a female and their faces were so bad tht i didnt wanted to look at them then sumone replied that they wr kafirs an on that day only i got news of death of 1 hindu woman and 1 shia man. 2.During last -last ramzan .generally i din used to sleep at night.and it happened few times tht i slept after doing sehri n i didnt prayed fajr salah ..n on 2 or 3 occasions i saw somewhat similar dream----- riots ,muslims r being killed n tortored and m among one of them.. 3.Nowadays ALHAMDULILLAH i hv started reading Quran (n tafseer of Abdul Majid daryabadi) daily .i saw in my dream tht the Quran fell from the shelf because it was not properly kept by me .I was very sad in the dream. 4.I saw that my mother and sister are wearing unislamic dress (although my mother wears naqab) and i ws very angry on them.. ALLAH aap sab ko jannatul firdous ata kare.

Ans:

The meaning of the dream is that you are awestruck by the glamour and pomp of batil (falsehood). The dream is warning too that you should learn a lesson by their consequences.

(2) The dream presents a slight flash of the severe punishment for missing Fajr salah and especially in Ramazan. May Allah protect us!

(3) You are lazy in making use of the tafseers written by authentic Ulama of Ahl-us-Sunnah. This is meaning of the dream.

(4) The dream reflects the common condition and feeling of Muslim woman in general. Your anger is a sign of your religious and Islamic feeling. May Allah protect all of us from things detestable and grant us the pleasure of both the worlds.

5. Question: 4906 Link

Aasalamualaykum, My wife want to stay with Hindu man to whome she loves it is question of iman and also of ezat. Want to ask is there any kind of dua or wazifa to bring wife back home without giving her to eat or drink anything? and keep her in control?

Ans:
After the Isha Salah, take 11 grains of black pepper and recite یا لطیف یا ودود 1100 times with durood 11 times before and after while thinking your wife to love you. Having it done, blow on the black peppers and put them in burning fire and pray to Allah. Do this at least for forty days.

6. Question: 19991 Link

All our teachers are Hindu and many of their festivals and religious ceremonies come up on which all the students greet and congratulate them. We find it embarrassing not to greet them, so what should we do? Should we greet them or not? Would you please help us, may Allah grant you all goodness.

Ans:
It is not permissible for Muslims to take part with the Hindu disbelievers in celebrating their festivals and religious occasions. One should neither show happiness and approval, nor congratulate them on such occasions. This is imitation of the enemies of Allah in their forbidden acts which are not in line with Islamic tenets. It also constitutes a sort of assisting them in sin and transgression, bringing them joy, flattering them, adding numbers to their gatherings [thus giving them significance], and giving them prestige. Allah, the Exalted states,Surah Al-Ma'idah, 5: 2 Help you one another in Al-Birr and At-Taqwâ (virtue, righteousness and piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression. And fear Allâh. Verily, Allâh is Severe in punishment. It is authentically narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) stated, Anyone who imitates a people becomes one of them.

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Alright, now let us turn our attention to the national song "vande mataram".What's "wrong" with vande mataram? Why is it unislamic?

Apparently, it hails Mother India as a goddess. The original song has several "objectionable" verses such as:

"Thou art Durga, Lady and Queen"
"Thou art Lakshmi lotus-throned"
" And thy glorious smile divine"

And not so surprisingly, these verses were omitted before the Muslim organizations "allowed" the song to be the national song of India.

So what is the motive of the Jamat to declare the song unislamic right before P Chidambaram speaks at their conference in Deoband?