Embracing one another not an Eid tradition, says Darul Uloom Deoband

Eid-ul-Fitr: Men greet one another after prayers to mark the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan in Peshawar on Tuesday. (REUTERS Photo)

In yet another fatwa, Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband has decreed the act of embracing or hugging during Eid as 'wrong'. The fatwa, issued two days ahead of Eid, has gone viral on social media.

The cleric bench Mufti-e-Karam has supported this fatwa, which calls the act of embracing while greeting one another during Eid in modern times, as wrong. The fatwa came after a letter from Pakistan asked the seminary if embracing on Eid is correct as per norms of Islam.

The letter had also asked if someone expressed the wish to embrace on Eid, should one follow through. To this, the bench of Darul Uloom said that wishing Eid by embracing has not been mentioned anywhere in historical records. 

Explaining the decree, the bench said if a person is meeting someone after a long time, there is nothing wrong in embracing. But such an act should not be converted into an Eid tradition. 

Deoband ulema Maulana Qari Sayyid Gora has supported the fatwa.

Earlier this year, the Darul Uloom Deoband had declared the act of men and women eating together during functions as 'un-Islamic'. In another fatwa, the Islamic seminary asked Muslims to avoid families that raise 'haram' (illegitimate) money earned from a banking job and instead look for a "pious" family while considering marriage proposals.

The fasting month of Ramzan is expected to end on Tuesday or day after depending on the sighting of the moon. Markets across the country wore a festive look as people began shopping for Eid-ul-Fitr.