Muzaffarnagar, April 25
A controversy has broken out over the appointment of Jamshed Ashraf as Bihar's new Excise Minister with a leading Islamic seminary holding that Islam does not allow Muslims to get involved in a profession related to liquor.
Darul Uloom, Deoband, has upheld a ‘fatwa’ against Ashraf by a Patna-based Shariat committee, which asked the minister to relinquish his post.
Soon after Ashraf was assigned the Registration and Excise Department by chief minister Nitish Kumar on April 13, “Imarat-e-Sharia” in Patna had asked Ashraf not to hold the ministry which dealt with something that was “haram” (prohibited) in Islam.
Endorsing the move, Darul Uloom Deputy Vice-Chancellor Maulan Qari Mohammad Usman said the fatwa issued by “Imarat-e-Sharia” was based on Shariat.
The in-charge of the “Fatwa” department of the seminary has said involvement of any Muslim in a
profession which deal with liquor directly or indirectly is illegal under Shariat Law.
However, the clerics said that fatwa is not an order but a guiding principal and one may abide with it or ignore it.
“A mufti issues a fatwa only when someone approaches him to seek guidance according to Shariat Law,” a cleric of the seminary said.
It is to be noted that similar profile is being held by a Muslim minister in Uttar Pardesh. Naseemuddin Siddiqui, a BSP legislator holds excise and PWD portfolios under the Mayawati government in UP.
— PTI
