New fatwa from Darul Uloom Ulema: Skip political iftaar

NEW DELHI: Iftaar parties, which are being used by politicians for making politically overt gestures and networking with Muslim leaders, have no religious sanction. Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulema has issued a fatwa stating that holding of Iftaar by political parties had no religious sanctity.

On a query of Colonel (retd) M J Shamsi, Mufti Zahoor Nadvi of the Darul Ifta said that there is no religious sanctity to Iftaar organised by political parties as these functions are thrown for vested interests.

This is not the first time that community leaders have come out against accepting Iftaar invitation from political parties. In 2001, Mufti Mukkarram Ahmed, Shahi Imam of Fatehpuri Masjid, had articulated his opposition to the practice. ���I avoid going for these political 'nautankis', but if I must, I carry my khazoor (dates) to break my fast because you can never be sure of the source of income of these lavish parties that politicians throw, and Islam says that what you eat for Iftar must be from halal kamai (honest income),��� the cleric had said.

According to clerics, pious Muslims should stay away from such parties. ���Ramadan, the ninth month according to the Islamic calendar, is the most pious month as it was during this month that the holy Quran was revealed to the last Prophet, Hazrat Mohammed. There is no room in it for lies, hypocrisy and politics,��� clerics argue.

Coming back to the fatwa, Colonel Shamsi had enquired whether holding of Iftaar parties by political parties was justified. The practice of organising Iftaar in Uttar Pradesh was started in the 1970s when then chief minister H N Bahuguna organised one such Iftaar party for the rozedars. Later Indira Gandhi used it for wooing the Muslim community. Since then, it became an annual feature for different political parties and their eminent to organise such functions.