Darul Uloom Deoband Issues Fatwa Giving 'Validity to Idea of Ghazwa-e-Hind'

Darul Uloom Deoband, one of the largest Islamic seminaries in the country, has reportedly issued a fatwa giving validity to the idea of Ghazwa-e-Hind. The seminary has written on its website that ‘Ghazwa-e-Hind’ (holy raid of India) is “valid from the Islamic point of view”. It further stated that those martyred in Ghazwa-e-Hind will be great supreme martyrs.

Terming the fatwa ‘anti-national’, the National Commission for Child Protection (NCPCR) has asked Saharanpur DM and SSP to lodge an FIR.

According to News18 Hindi, a netizen had sought information from Darul Uloom online regarding Ghazwa-e-Hind. This person had asked the seminary whether there is any mention of it in the Hadith.

In response, Darul Uloom Deoband cited ‘Sunan an-Nasai’‎, one of the ‘Kutub al-Sittah’ (six major hadith collections). It said that there is an entire chapter in it regarding Ghazwa-e-Hind.

Its mentioned in the fatwa that a hadith has been narrated quoting Hazrat Abu Huraira, who was close to Prophet Mohammad. In this he spoke of Ghazwa-e-Hind and said, “I will fight for it and will sacrifice all my wealth for it. If I die, I will be a great sacrifice. If I remain alive, I will be called ‘Ghazi’ (a Muslim warrior).”

Taking cognizance of the complaint by NCPCR chairman Priyank Kanungo, Saharanpur district officer Dinesh Chandra directed SDM and CO Deoband to take action after investigation.

Expressing concern over the matter, Kanungo said, “At Darul Uloom Deoband, children are being taught how to perform ‘Ghazwa-e-Hind’, Whoever gives his life for Ghazwa-e-Hind will be called the supreme martyr. This organisation operates madrassas throughout South Asia. It is very dangerous to incite children to attack India in this way. We have asked the district administration to register a case under sections of treason.”

Darul Uloom Deoband is the largest Islamic institution running several madrassas in the country. Madrasas linked to this seminary are running in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, where lakhs of students are enrolled.

A local publication of Uttar Pradesh quoted Muslim cleric Maulana Sajid Rashidi as defending the fatwa, and saying “it is a hypothetical situation”.

“It has been said that only ‘if’ there was a fight between Hindus and Muslims, then the person killed would be called martyred,” Rozana Spokesman quoted him as saying.

What is ‘Ghazwa-e-Hind’

According to Observer Research Foundation (ORF), Ghazwa in Arabic implies a war that is guided by faith rather than materialistic or territorial gains and is widely attributed to an Islamic concept derived from the hadiths ― a set of sayings by Prophet Mohammad. The phrase is used refer to Muslim warriors conquering the Indian subcontinent.

Pakistan-based terror groups, notably Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), have been using Ghazwa-e-Hind as a Hadith to recruit, fund and justify its audacious terror strikes as a religious holy war against India. The Jaish and others falsely propagate that Jihad against India is considered holy in Islam and that those participating in it will be granted an easy entry into paradise, the report stated.