Bareilly Dargah Issues Fatwa For Muslim Men Over 'Non-Islamic Acts'; Women Asked Not To Shape Eyebrows

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Bareilly: Bareilly`s Dargah Ala Hazrat has issued a fatwa forbidding Muslim youth from `non-Islamic` acts of hiding their identities while getting into love affairs and marrying non-Muslim girls. In addition, a fatwa has been issued directing men against getting hair transplants and forbidding women to shape their eyebrows or get their hair set since it said such practices are seen as "an intrusion into the natural body" and went against the Sharia.

The fatwa issued by Darul Ifta, an organization that operates from Dargah Ala Hazrat, one of the most revered shrines for the Barelvi sect of Sunni Muslims, has termed it `haram` for Muslim youth to hide their identity and fall in love with the girls of other religions.

The decree has been issued in response to a query by Barabanki`s Dr. Mohammad Nadeem on the allegations of rising cases of "Love Jihad".The President of All India Muslim Jamaat, Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi stated that the fatwa has been issued regarding the matter from Bareilly. "Young Muslim boys are indulging in `non-Islamic` acts and getting into love affairs and marriage with non-Muslim girls," he said at a press conference here on Sunday.

He further said, "These non-Islamic acts include wearing `kada` and `kalava` on hand, putting `tilak` on the head and talking with non-Muslim girls on social media by hiding their identity. Regarding this, a fatwa has been issued from Bareilly, and such activities have been referred to as illegitimate and `Haram` in it."Also, a fatwa issued on March 3 forbids women to shape their eyebrows and get their hair set.

In addition, men have been forbidden from getting hair transplants as such a practice is against the Sharia "as it is an intrusion into the natural body" Similarly, if a husband gives `Talaq` to his wife through `SMS`, sends the message multiple times, and then accepts sending the message, the Talaq will be accepted valid according to Sharia," the cleric said.

In Uttar Pradesh, the Adityanath-led government`s new law against forced religious conversions or `Love Jihad` came into effect in November 2020. In November last year, a Lucknow court sent to judicial custody a Muslim man accused of pushing a 19-year-old Hindu girl in Lucknow to the fourth floor of a building after she allegedly refusing to convert to Islam. The man identified as one Sufiyan was arrested following a police encounter in Uttar Pradesh`s Lucknow.

The FIR based on a complaint by the girl`s family alleged that the accused Sufiyan used to pressurize Nidhi to convert to her religion before marriage. The Lucknow Police has filed a case against the accused Sufiyan under Section 302 and Sections 3 and 5 (1) of the Uttar Pradesh anti-conversion law.

According to the law, conversion from one religion to another by "misrepresentation, force, fraud, undue influence, coercion, allurement or marriage" stands prohibited and any marriage with the sole intention of changing the girl`s religion will be declared null and void.