Islamic cleric issues 'fatwa' for Sara Ali Khans's visit to Kedarnath, calls it 'haraam'

Sara Ali Khan is often seen expressing her love for Kedarnath and also visits the temple at regular intervals. This time around, her visit has come under scrunity as Uttar Pradesh-based Islamic cleric Maulana Mufti Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi has issued a fatwa over the actress offering prayers at the Hindu shrineThe controversy follows after Sara’s visit on Sunday, October 25, when she was spotted standing in a queue for darshan.

After offering prayers, the actor was seen outside the temple with her hands folded.In a video statement, the Islamic cleric said that worshipping according to another religion was “impermissible and haram under Sharia”. He also called on Sara to seek forgiveness from Allah, urging her to repent “like a guilty person”.“Several youngsters have asked me whether Sara’s act of worshipping at Kedarnath is permissible under Sharia.

I want to make it clear that such acts are not permissible,” the cleric said in the video.This is not the first time Sara has faced criticism from religious figures over her visits to Kedarnath. A fatwa is a religious opinion or ruling on a question of Islamic law issued by a qualified Islamic scholar.Sara, daughter of actors Amrita Singh and Saif Ali Khan, has been visiting Kedarnath regularly for the past four years. Her acting debut, ‘Kedarnath’, which also starred the late Sushant Singh Rajput, had faced opposition from right-wing groups in Uttarakhand ahead of its release in 2018.

Meanwhile, the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC), which oversees the management of both shrines, has made it mandatory for non-Hindu visitors wishing to offer prayers at the temples to submit an affidavit.BKTC Chief Executive Officer Sohan Singh Rangar confirmed to News18 that Sara’s team had submitted the required affidavit before her visit.