J&K: Shia Clerics ‘Derogatory’ Remarks Against First Caliphate of Islam Set-off Tensions

Srinagar:Imran Reza Ansari, a Shia politician and cleric, is facing widespread condemnation for inflammatory remarks against the first caliph of Islam (Rashidun Caliphate) Abd Allah ibn Abi Quhafa, better known by his kunya Abu Bakr Sidiq.

While speaking at a function to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, the grandson of Islam's Prophet Muhammad, Ansari, a former minister currently associated with Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference spoke about numerous hardships faced by Hussain’s mother Fatima az-Zahra, including alleged injustice and the denial of her inheritance rights after the Prophet's death.

He is in a viral video also heard of claiming that the caliph of the time whom he calls a “maleun"- a person accursed or deprived of Allah's Mercy- kept her waiting for six hours before hearing her plea. His remark is being widely condemned by both Sunni and Shia religious leaders. Many people took to social media platforms to condemn Ansari’s derogatory remarks and demanded an unconditional apology from him.

Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, Lok Sabha member from Srinagar and another Shia leader Aga Syed Mohammed Hadi reminded Ansari about Ali al-Husayni al-Sistani, an Islamic scholar and the dean of the Hawza in Najaf, Iraq, and Iran’s supreme leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei having issued decree (fatwa) that it is haram (forbidden) to insult Rashidun caliphates or sacred tenets or sanctities of Ahl al-Sunnah (Sunni Muslims). “If you are so much inspired by his (Ayatollah Khamenei’s) leadership, stop doing what is forbidden. And stop using religion for your personal benefit,” Mehdi said in a post in response to Ansari’s expressing wish that the Iranian leader should be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his “proactive role, spanning decades, , spanning decades, in promoting peace and stability in the entire World and the Middle East specifically”.

Hadi while reacting to Ansari’s “derogatory” remarks against Islam’s first Caliphate said that it was his personal view which had nothing to do with the Shias of J&K. Another prominent Shia cleric and politician Moulana Masroor Abbas Ansari also distanced himself and the Shia community from Ansari’s “reprehensible” remarks.

Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulama (MMU), an amalgam of the heads of Muslim religious organisations and institutions headed by Kashmir’s chief Muslim cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, in a statement issued here said that it wishes to place on record its deep anguish and strong condemnation of the continued and deliberate provocations by Ansari.

Earlier this month, Ansari had targeted Amir Muawiyah, another companion of Prophet Muhammad, and his clan Banu Umayyah. The MMU representing both Sunni and Shia schools of thought in J&K had strongly denounced Ansari’s statement as provocative, disrespectful, and a threat to Islamic unity.

Following his latest statement, the MMU has called for legal action and a community boycott of Ansari, citing his comments as a direct attack on mutual respect and harmony among Muslim communities.

While defending himself, Ansari has said that the allegations levelled against him are unfounded. “A video clip has recently circulated online, accompanied by claims that I have spoken ill of the Sahabah (Prophet Muhammad’s companions). I want to state, plainly and without ambiguity, that this allegation is unfounded.”

He said, “The interpretation being pushed onto my words is not only inaccurate but also ignores the broader context and intent of what was said.” He added that he firmly stands by the decree of Ayatullah Sistani and Ayatollah Khamenei. He, however, also stated that this was not a tactical position but a principled one. “The path towards any meaningful unity within the Muslim Ummah (nation) must begin with mutual respect, not with provocation, distortion or sectarian one-upmanship.”