By Majid Nabi
Srinagar- A gathering of leading Muslim clergy of Kashmir valley Tuesday declared that the 27th night (Shab-e-Qadr) will be observed on the 17th of April. The announcement was made by Grand Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam. Interestingly, the Grand Mufti had declared Friday March 24 as the first day of fasting month.
Nasir-ul-Islam also said that efforts to sight the Shawal (Eid) crescent will be made three days later on April 20.
“In case the crescent moon is sighted on April 20, then one day ommitted (Qaza) fast will be observed after Eid-ul-Fitr,” he said.
The Grand Mufti made this announcement after a marathon meeting of leading clergy at his residence here on Tuesday which he claimed was convened in order to dispel doubts that had created an atmosphere of discord among Muslim community following divergent views on Ramazan moon sighting this year. The representative gathering included Maulana Rahmatullah Qasmi, Prof Muhammad Tayib Kamili, Mufti Nazir Ahmad Qasmi, Maulana Syed Rahman Shams from Mirwaiz Manzil, Maulana Masroor Abbas Ansari, Maulana Ghulam Rasool Hami, Agha Syed Mujtaba Mousavi, Maulana Fayaz Ahmed Rizvi, besides others.
Confusion had prevailed here last week after Kashmir Grand Mufti for the first time disregarded Pakistan’s official Ruet-e-Hilal Committee announcement on the beginning of the holy month of Ramazan. The split triggered overnight confusion but the majority of Kashmiris began fasting from Thursday itself as per past practice of following neighbouring country in the matters of moon sighting.
Grand Mufti’s decision also triggered a storm on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook where he was trolled and labeled as a ‘traitor’ by some netizens.
“My Allah is witness to what I did and with what intentions. I cannot even think of betraying my own people on sensitive religious matters being a religious jurist. It’s my religious duty to guide people through the right path. Hardly any witnesses regarding sighting of the crescent moon were received that evening,” Mufti said during his emotional speech at Ulema’s conference.
He said the crescent moon was sighted in FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas) in Pakistan, which is some 2,000km from here and geographically far off.
Grand Mufti said being shot by an arrow would not have been worse for him than being labeled as a “traitor and an agency man”.
Defending himself, Grand Mufti said he was among the few people, who challenged in the apex court of India, center’s August 5, 2019 decision on Jammu and Kashmir and was the only one to pay tributes to the senior separatist leader, late Syed Ali Shah Geelani when he died.
“I was among few who challenged abrogation of Article 370 and 35A in the Supreme Court of India. I was barred from moving to Canada while my wife was detained at Delhi Airport after the August 5, 2019 decision, but trolling me on social media and making insulting remarks against me hurt me most,” he added
He further said that there will be no confusion with regard to the sighting of the crescent moon in the future and that all the decisions in this direction will be taken after due consultations with the heads of religious bodies.
A body of leading Ulema from all schools of thought has been constituted for the purpose and their decision will be final and binding, he said.
Grand Mufti also called for release of Mirwaiz Umer Farooq from house detention.
Later talking to Kashmir Observer, Grand Mufti said Waqf Board has no bearing on religious matters and that all decisions in this direction will be taken after due consultation with the heads of religious bodies.
Echoing similar views, Maulana Rehmatullah Qasmi criticized the Waqf Board’s decision to set up the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee in J&K, saying the people sitting at the helm of administrative affairs have no rights whatsoever to “poke their nose in the religious matters”.
“I respectfully want to suggest to my sister (Waqf chairperson Darkhshan Andrabi) to concentrate on administrative matters instead of interfering in religious matters. Decisions on religious matters are the prerogative of Ulema. Confusions have prevailed in the past as well and we have to make sure no such confusion is created in the future,” he said.
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