Fatwa against chanting of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' issued by Darul Uloom Deoband

In a move that’s sure to evoke criticism, the Darul Ifta, the fatwa department of the Islamic seminary Darul Uloom of Deoband, has issued a fatwa against the chanting of ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ in response to queries sent in by believers to the seminary.

Although the fatwa was dated March 19 it became viral on social media only on Thursday evening.

The fatwa states that since Islam forbids idol worship Muslims should refrain from chanting ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’.

“Scholars of the Darul Ifta had issued the fatwa in response to queries of people who sent letters attached with the portrait of Bharat Mata,” said a seminarian spokesperson.

The spokesperson clarified that that since idol worship was impermissible under Islamic belief thus followers of Islam can’t say ‘Bharat Mata ki Jaik, which has often been portrayed as a goddess carrying a trident in one hand and clad in saffron clothes.

He said that the Darul Ifta is a separate department in the seminary in which Islamic scholars give their collective response to the queries of believers through their interpretation of the Quran and the Hadith.

The Darul Ifta further added that Islam respects all but cannot permit worship of the Prophet in the form of an idol.

IMAGE: An image of a copy of the fatwa that was issued against the chanting of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai'. Photograph: Twitter