A Terahvi ceremony organised by Hindus for the former Union Minister Qazi Rasheed Masood who passed away recently due to Covid-19 annoyed the Deoband Ulema who condemned the ceremony and called it ‘haraam’. The Ulema expressed displeasure on the participation of the family members of the veteran leader in the Hindu ceremony. The ceremony was held by Master Ratan Lal in Bilaspur. Lal used to consider Rasheed Masood as his brother and had good relations with Masood family.
In Hindus, the pagdi ceeremony is organised to pass on the responsibilities of a deceased elder to his successor. In the ceremony, Rasheed Masood’s son was tied a ‘pagdi’ (turban) with chanting of mantras in the presence of other family members including Congress leader and former MLA Imran Masood who is nephew of the deceased leader. In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Imran Masood had threatened the then Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi to chop him into pieces.
Maulana Mufti Asad Kasmi of Madrassa Jamia Sheikh-ul-Hind said that Islam forbids following the rituals of any other religion. He added that tying of pagdi to Masood’s son in the Hindu ceremony of Terahvi amidst chanting of mantras is against Islam. He asked Masood’s son to observe penance before Allah for participating in a Hindu ceremony. Maulana Kasmi said that tying of pagdi in itself was not a concern but it should have been done as per Islamic rituals.
Maulana Mufti Tareeq Kasmi of Madrasaa Jamia Hussainia, also said that it is haraam in Islam to pay tribute to a deceased Muslim in a non-Islamic manner. He said that Islam also forbids participating in such ceremonies.
Responding to the reaction of the Deoband Ulema, Congress leader Imran Masood said that he and his Allah know better. Further, Rasheed Masood’s family is not affected by the reaction of the clerics. Shazan Masood, who was part of the ceremony, said that the ‘pagdi’ ritual has been part of his family for generations.
