Religious body issues fatwa, says concealing one's identity, marrying non-Muslim women against Quran

The Quran forbade concealing one's own identity as a Muslim, and eloping or getting married to a woman practising another religion, said Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi, the president of All India Muslim Jamat.

Bareilly:Addressing a burgeoning number of cases of alleged 'Love Jihad' being filed across the country, as well as the controversy regarding the topic, All India Muslim Jamat, a religious body affiliated to Dargah ala Hazrat in Uttar Pradesh, issued a fatwa on Sunday prohibiting Muslim youth from hiding their identity and "getting into relationships with non-Muslim women". Addressing the media at an event, Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi, the president of the organisation, claimed the act of hiding one's identity went against the teachings of the Quran.

"An issue has surfaced in recent times where Muslim young men hide their identity, and approach women from non-Muslim communities, even going as far as establishing marital relations. People were perplexed and sought to know what the Quran had to say in such a situation. Young men tied 'kalava' (sacred thread) to their hands, and even applied 'tilak' on their foreheads to approach non-Muslim girls.

They also kept non-Muslim names on their social media handles to fool girls," he observed while issuing the fatwa in response to a question posed by a follower of the sect. "In response to his question, the fatwa is hereby issued that Islam is Deen-e-Fitrat (religion based on laws of nature), and deems the act of concealing one's identity as illegitimate and 'haram", he further added. Razvi also noted that the act of tying sacred thread to one's hand and applying tilak similarly went against tenets of the faith.