Kozhikode, Samastha Kerala Jamiat Ulama, the premier council of Shafi’i Sunni Muslim scholars in Kerala, said Muslims should abstain from ceremonies and practices performed by followers of other faiths as part of their religious rituals, amid controversy over a Muslim League MLA lighting a traditional lamp at a function recently.
Perambra MLA Fatima Tahlia, the first woman legislator of the Indian Union Muslim League in the Kerala Assembly, lit up Nilavelaku while inaugurating a new restaurant in her constituency recently, sparking a debate in Kerala’s Muslim socio-political circles on whether a Muslim public representative should participate in such celebrations.
In a statement issued on June 3, Samastha Central Consultation said that the lighting of Nilavilakku has long been practiced by non-Muslims as a distinct religious ceremony, and urged Muslims to be careful in such matters while maintaining communal harmony.
Amid the controversy, Samastha leader Abdul Hamid Faizi Ambalakadavu on Friday shared a Facebook post highlighting the organisation’s stance on the issue.
He said, “Islamic legislation is precise, clear, and explicit. Islam strictly orders believers to show friendship and tolerance toward followers of other religions. The Prophet’s companions used to order their families that when a goat is slaughtered and cooked, the first part should be given to a Jewish neighbor.”
He added, “But Islam imposed a strict ban on following and practicing the rituals of other religions.”
Al-Fayzi said that such issues often become controversial in a pluralistic society, and pointed out that some people justify participating in such practices on the basis that they do not embrace the religious beliefs associated with them.
“In this matter, the authority of Islamic scholars representing the Muslims of Kerala issued a religious ruling in terms that leave no room for doubt,” he said.
Citing a statement issued by the Central Consultation Meeting of the Kerala Samastha Ulama Association held in Kozhikode on June 3, he said the body called on Muslims to avoid ceremonies and practices that have no basis in Islam and which are performed by followers of other religions as part of their religious rituals.
“The decision was taken during discussions regarding the ongoing nilavilakku controversy. In specific contexts, the lighting of nilavilakku has long been practiced by non-Muslims as a distinct religious ceremony. If a Muslim engages in such a practice while accepting and basing it on anti-Islamic beliefs attached to it by those performing the ritual, such an act would be tantamount to leaving the fold of Islam.”
She added, “But if this is done without acceptance or based on such beliefs, but merely to imitate non-Muslims, then the act is forbidden and sinful.”
However, the statement clarified that using nilavilakku as a light source only is permissible.
“If a person lights up and uses nilavilakku for illumination only, just as he uses any other lamp as a means of obtaining light, then it is permissible.”
The consultation also urged people to be careful while maintaining communal harmony.
The statement added, “The consultation also advised that while preserving the unity and harmony of our country, everyone must be careful and not take such matters lightly.”
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