A fatwa that tells women how to try on bangles

Muzaffarnagar: In another controversial proclamation, a fatwa asking Muslim women to not wear bangles from men at bangle shops has been issued by Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband. The tradition which has continued for ages has been called “wrong and a big sin”.

The issue came to light after a query was raised by a resident of Deoband town who questioned if it was appropriate for Muslim women to let strangers touch their arms to help them try out and wear bangles.

Responding to the query, the renowned seminary said wearing the bangles on their own after buying it from the bangle shops can always be done. “But if they let male shopkeepers touch their hands, it is not good and ‘haram’ (prohibited),” the fatwa stated.

The fatwa was also supported by Muslim scholars in Deoband. “It is correct that women can’t talk to strangers or meet them as per the sharia. In that light, letting male shopkeepers touch their arms to help them wear bangles is wrong,” Mufti Tariq Qasmi, a cleric in the town, spoke.

The past week, Deoband ulemas (clerics) issued another fatwa, which stated that buying a life insurance policy or getting property insured is against Islam. Responding to the query put up by a Ghaziabad-based man, a bench of ulemas stated, “Life and death are in the hands of Allah and no insurance company can guarantee a man’s longevity.”

Multiple fatwas have been earlier issued by Deoband ulemas since the beginning of the year 2018. Lately, another fatwa issued by them mentioned that women wearing body-hugging, designer burqas is ‘haram’ and prohibited in Islam. A bench of muftis had issued a fatwa stating “Veil and burqa are supposed to protect a woman from prying eyes. So, a woman wearing designer burqa or body-hugging outfit is strictly not allowed in Islam.”

In another development that came to light, Deoband ulemas had disapproved of 15-year-old Alia Khan of Meerut for reciting Bhagwat Geeta slokas in a contest organized by the Lucknow state government. She later won a prize for her recital.