A Muslim religious conglomerate in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh named Tehreekhe Tahfuje Sunniyat led by Sajjadanshin Mufti Ahsan Raza Qadri has started a campaign in the city, discouraging Muslims from attending ‘nikah’ or weddings that are attended by women without full-face coverings like burqa and niqab, reports Hindi daily Amar Ujala.
Terming it un-Islamic, the organisation has been distributing pamphlets in Muslim households, asking people to boycott marriage ceremonies that permit women to attend them without wearing full hijabs.
This campaign came to the fore, after a ‘nikah’ that is to be held on 27th March in Baheri, had forbidden women who do not observe the hijab to attend the wedding feast. According to reports, the bride and groom’s families have strictly instructed their guests that any female invitee who does not wear a hijab should not attend the ceremony.
Moreover, the Islamic fundamentalist organisation also said that people should boycott the weddings where the female guests freely mingle with unknown men. The seminary also asserted that wedding where guests are expected to eat food while standing should be boycotted. It advised Muslims to protect themselves from such activities. The Ulemas and Imams have also been instructed to strictly follow these guidelines issued by the organisation.
DJs, music, dance and fireworks during Muslim wedding ceremonies are un-Islamic
Recently, in another instance, a fatwa was issued by a senior mufti of the Dargah-e-Ala Hazrat in Bareilly which said that it was against Shariat for male and females to eat food together at weddings. The fatwa said that organisers should maintain a difference between mehram (close relatives) and non-mehrams. It also said that DJs, music, dance and fireworks during wedding ceremonies are un-Islamic.
In fact, in 2018 too, the Islamic fundamentalist organisation Darul Uloom Deoband had stated that they will not conduct ‘nikah’ or weddings where dance and music are part of the ceremonies. Darul-Uloom-Deoband had added that music and dance are against the religion.
The Uttar Pradesh based Deoband, which is a powerful and influential Islamic organisation, has issued many such bizarre fatwas in the past. They had banned body-hugging outfits and designer burqas stating that a woman’s burqa is supposed to protect her from prying eyes and body-hugging or designer burqas are ‘haraam’ as they attract attention.
Deoband had also issued a fatwa against women sharing their photographs or selfies on social media. They stated that Islam does not allow women to show their faces to the public. Moreover, it issued a fatwa stating that women cannot take the shopkeeper’s help while trying out new bangles in a shop. They called it a big sin and against ‘sharia’ to let a stranger touch their hands.
