In a welcoming move, Muslim clerics in Bihar have decided not to offer namaz-e-janaza (funeral prayer) for drunkards and also not to read out nikah nama at marriage ceremony for those who are willing to take dowry. The decision was taken at a meeting of Muslim clerics on Saturday at Nalanda.
“We have taken the decision at our Saturday meeting that we would not offer namaz-e-janaza for those who die from alcoholism”, said one of the Imam Alam Makhdumi. He also hoped that the move would stop people from taking liquor which has become cancerous for the society.
“liquor is strictly prohibited in Islam but still many members of the society have become addicted to it and are ruining their family”, said Makhdumi, who presided over the meeting of Faizane Mustafa Committee at Biharsharief, district headquarters of Nalanda.
The decision comes after they had declared to boycott drinking liquor in public places.
“Its not that we took this decision all of a sudden as earlier we had urged the people that drunkards should be socially boycotted but even after that, if they fail to get rid of their habit, we will not lead their funeral prayers”, he said.
Makhdumi also said that they took a final decision to end the increasing trend of consuming alcohol among Muslim brethren of the district. “I know that it is a tough decision as there is no other way left to warn the drunkards”, he said.
He added that when the decision will have its positive impact in Nalanda district, they would request Imams of other districts of the State too to issue such a declaration and set it off as a
campaign. “It will discourage people from being alcoholic and so both their health and theirfamilies will be saved”, he said.
Meanwhile, the Muslim community across the State has welcomed this move. “Such a decision will certainly help to discourage people from consuming alcohol and desist them from being addicted to it”, said Imtiyaz Ali of Subzibag locality in Patna.
Earlier, the same Muslim clerics of Nalanda had announced that they would not offer nikahnama at marriage ceremony of those who would take dowry. The move had sent a right message to the society where dowry has gripped people like a vice.
“After much deliberation, we decided not to conduct nikah or marriage for those who would take or give dowry in their marriages”, said
Qazi Maulana Mansur Alam, head of Imarat-e-Sharia of Biharsharief in Nalanda district. Now, with the both the decisions taken by the Muslim clerics in at Nalanda district a right signal and message has gone out in the minority community for the welfare of one and at all, believed many of the community members.