Deoband Fatwas Confuse India Muslims (opinion)

Deoband Fatwas Confuse India Muslims, OnIslam.net "Fatwas issued by the Deobond seminary have become a source of controversy and confusion among India’s Muslims, with many criticizing the religious edicts as “outdated” and running counter to the modern age." Other perspectives are available on this.

Darul Uloom Deoband fatwas

indianexpress.com, Fatwas are not necessarily binding on Muslims: Islamic Scholars "Recent Darul Uloom's fatwas advising Muslim women against working as receptionists and its decrees on tattoos and perfumes may have caused a stir, but Islamic scholars are of the view that such decrees are not necessarily binding on Muslims." More on Darul Uloom Deoband fatwas (also posted earlier this week on this).

Darul Uloom Deoband 'fatwas'

Rediff.com, Fatwa Factory: Black hair dye, Women receptionists,'un-Islamic': A collection of religious opinions or fatwas from Darul Uloom Deoband, complete with photographic illustrations (some more useful than others)

Use technology to spread message of religion: Imam of grand mosque in Mecca

indianexpress.com, Use technology to spread message of religion: Imam of grand mosque in Mecca, 27 Mar 2011 "The Imam of Masjid-al-Haram in Mecca, Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, on a three-day visit to India, spoke to a congregation at the Ramlila Maidan on Saturday. The programme, organised by the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, saw capacity crowd.

"The Imam said the followers of Islam should use advances in technology to take the message of the religion across the world. “If the Sahabah (companions of Prophet Muhammad) had not gone about spreading the Prophet’s message, Islam would not have grown. The followers of Islam should, therefore, use the Internet and electronic media to spread the religion in the modern times,” he said."

Talaq on net 'joke'

IBN Live News, Talaq joke during internet chat may cost youth his marriage, 27 Oct 2010 "A Talaq joke to his wife on the internet may cost an e-savvy youth his marriage. The youth, a resident of Qatar, had spelt talaq three times while chatting with his wife but little did he realise that his humourous intention in cyberspace will nullify his marriage in reality. Islamic seminary Dar-ul-Uloom Deoband has ruled that saying talaq thrice even casually without any serious overtone is valid as per the Shariyat (Islamic Law) and the marriage stands nullified. The nationality or the identity of the youth was not revealed. The ruling was given by Deoband' fatwa section Dar-ul-Ifta in reply to a query posted by a youth from Qatar. The youth in his query (question number 26075) had stated that while chatting with his wife over net he jokingly spelled talaq thrice. Claiming to have less knowledge about Islam, the youth said that he didn't know how Talaq is taken."

Darul Uloom Deoband on fatwas

The Statesman, Islamic scholars question relevance of fatwas, 11 Jul 2010 "From banning wearing of wig during prayers to prohibiting having test tube baby. Islamic scholars are now raising questions on the relevance of a number of such fatwas issued by the country's largest seminary the Darul Uloom Deoband."

Darul Uloom profile

Edna Fernandez, Daily Mail, Inside the Muslim Eton: 20 hour days starting at 3.45am with the aim of producing Muslim elite of leaders, 20 June 2010

"... the school vigorously encourages IT skills and study of sciences, and it plans to raise millions to build a new science block in the future.

"Recreation time lasts until 7pm but this is a group of boys for whom the iPod, Facebook, mobile phones and Harry Potter novels are banned, along with surfing internet sites other than those approved by imams."

"Inside the fatwa lab"

Irena Akbar, indianexpress.com, Inside the fatwa lab, 23 May 2010"In Darul Uloom Deoband, the second largest Islamic seminary of the world, the computer is a “born Muslim” but ties and trousers are ways of “debauched Westerners”. Its internet department answers queries from Muslims across the world and sends out fatwas."

This is a very useful article.

Pact Radio

Pact Radio

Telegraph, The Cambridge chaplain fighting fanaticism by radio in Pakistan's Swat valley, 21 Feb 09 "Mr Butt, who spends part of his year as the Muslim chaplain of Cambridge University, studied for 13 years of at the Dar ul-Uloom Deoband, the most influential Muslim seminary in south Asia. He set up the Pact radio station in 2004, staffed by local reporters he trained himself, to help disseminate the views of local people.

"His programmes argue that the superficial - and dangerous - ideas preached by militants in Pakistan and Afghanistan are a deviation from the more profound message of Islam."

Here's Pact Radio's website

Yoga Fatwa

khaleejtimes.com, Muslims Can Practise Yoga: Deoband Clerics, 28 Jan 09 "Going against Indonesia’s ban on Muslims practising yoga, India’s best known Islamic seminary says there is nothing wrong with any exercise done for health reasons.

"Clerics at the highly revered seminary in Deoband town in Uttar Pradesh in India, said that yoga was fine as long as no non-Islamic religious rituals were involved.

“Islam does not prohibit anyone from practising yoga or any other kind of physical exercise.

"“Only thing is that with what belief you are doing it... If you are doing it for health reasons, there is absolutely no problem in practicing yoga or any other exercise,” Qari Usman, a religious scholar at Darul Uloom, told IANS over telephone.
 “In fact Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had laid stress on people leading a healthy life. Historically there have been traditions of different kinds of exercises in Muslim civilisations,” added Qari Usman, also a former pro-vice chancellor of the seminary that attracts thousands of students mainly from India."

Deoband

Times of India, Deoband fatwa confuses couples, 4 Jul 08, "A fatwa from Dar-ul-Uloom, Deoband, which was hotly contested among Muslim clerics, questions the validity of innumerable love marriages in the Muslim community where a girl or a boy from different religion converts to Islam for matrimony."

Darul Uloom Deoband

Independent, Muslim seminary issues fatwa against terrorism, 2 Jun 08 "Senior clerics from the 150-year-old Darul Uloom Deoband issued the edict saying they wished to wipe out terrorism. "Islam rejects all kinds of unjust violence, breach of peace, bloodshed, murder and plunder and does not allow it in any form," said the rector, Habibur Rehman, to the cheers of thousands of students. Many held placards saying "Islam means peace", while others chanted." Official page: Darul Uloom Deoband

Also see Reuters/Asharq Alawsat, Darool-Uloom Deoband Issues Fatwa Against Terrorism, 2 Jun 08

Nikah Online

expressindia.com, Marriage solemnised after 16 months of Internet 'Nikah', 31 Mar 08

""The family had asked top Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband whether Internet marriage was acceptable.

"The Deoband had ruled in favour of marriage under Shariat law through the Internet. However, it had made it clear that such a 'nikah' should be performed in the presence of two witnesses and a 'Wakil' who would solemnise the wedding by announcing the acceptance of the bride and the groom."

Deobandi

BBC News, Muslim scholars decry terrorism, 25 Feb 08 "Opening the conclave the head of the Deoband school, Maulana Marghoobur Rahman, described terrorism as a thoughtless act which is against the teachings of Islam."

APP, Darul Uloom issues fatwa denouncing terrorism, 13 Dec 07 "Darul Uloom Deoband, a leading Islamic centre in India issued fatwa denouncing terrorism and said it was against Islamic principles. Media reports quoted Mufti-e-Azam Maulana Fazlurehman Hilal Usmani, a scholar of Darul Uloom as saying in Saharanpur “Jehad signifies a fight against evil while terrorism is aimed at killing of innocent people. The two are opposite each other." Haven't seen this on the Darul Uloom Deoband pages yet.