Muslim Minorities: Problems and Solutions (Q & A)

By Shari`ah Staff





As-salamu `alaykum.Dear Brother/Sisters,Thank you for joining our session and for your questions. We have happily received your questions and below are the answers.

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Question 1:
Muslims Donate for Hindu TempleDear scholar,As-salamu alaykum. Members of the Muslim community in India’s northern Bihar state have donated their land for the construction of the world’s largest Hindu temple. We will appreciate if you read this story and give us your comments/fatwa on whether it is allowed in Islam to assist in building a house of worship for non-believers where idols will be worshipped?This story is causing a lot of controversy among our Facebook visitors who see this as shirk and thus we are seeking your advice. We really appreciate your input on the topic.Here is the link of the story:http://www.onislam.net/english/news/...du-temple.htmlAnswer:Islam teaches Muslims to be tolerant of other religions and reciprocate kindness with kindness. In a society where Muslims and Hindus have lived together for centuries in fairly respectful of each other, this is simply an expression of that spirit. Hindus have provided lands for mosques, and thus it is only fair on the part of Muslims to provide lands for temples. Temples are not merely places of idol worship. They are also places where God’s name is celebrated. Mind you, not all Hindus sanction idolatry. Muslims certainly cannot participate in idol worship or propagate it. However, they are not allowed to interfere with the freedom of worship of Hindus.There is no doubt the issue is controversial when looked at from a purely legalistic perspective. However, viewed from the perspective of maslahah or otherwise known as siyasahshara’iyyah (Islamic system of political governance), this is in perfect agreement with the spirit of tolerance that prevailed in Muslim states prior to the abolition of the caliphate.Muslims, who encountered the Hindus for the first time, were advised by scholars to treat them like the People of the Book. It is worth remembering that eminent Sufi Shaikhs and scholars such as Mirza JaanJanaan (who was deeply familiar with the Hindu scriptures) supported this view.Allah Almighty knows best.