False Accusations Regarding the Grand Mufti and Sayyid al-Qimni
10 August 2009
Sheikh Ali Gomaa has recently been accused of issuing
a statement declaring the Egyptian writer Sayyid
al-Qimni an infidel and calling for him to be slain
for insulting the Prophet of Islam and the God of
Islam. This accusation is patently false. While there
may be some extremist elements in Egypt that have
made such statements, Sheikh Ali Gomaa and Dar
al-Ifta al-Misriyyah (the institution that he heads)
are not among them. In fact, it was only two years
ago that Sheikh Ali Gomaa made clear statements to
the effect that apostasy is not punishable by death
in Islam, a position that he holds to this day.
On June 25th 2009 Al-Qimni was awarded the State Award for Social Sciences. This angered many Muslims in Egypt who consider his work to be offensive to Islam. As a result, a question was sent to Dar al-Ifta concerning the awarding of prizes to individuals who insult Islam and the Prophet Muhammad. The fatwa, which is translated below, replied that awards and honors should not be given to those who insult and defame Islam. Noticeably, there was no mention of specific individuals, events, or awards. There is also no mention of a death sentence or incitement to harm al-Qimni. The fatwa, rather, calls for a recourse to legal channels of reparation. In an interview with the Egyptian newspaper al-Dastur, a spokesperson for Dar al-Ifta made their position clear stating that the role of fatwas is not to condemn, punish, or sentence people, that is the role of the judiciary. Fatwas clarify the legal status of actions without considering those involved or making any pronouncements concerning them as individuals, they are not death threats.
On June 25th 2009 Al-Qimni was awarded the State Award for Social Sciences. This angered many Muslims in Egypt who consider his work to be offensive to Islam. As a result, a question was sent to Dar al-Ifta concerning the awarding of prizes to individuals who insult Islam and the Prophet Muhammad. The fatwa, which is translated below, replied that awards and honors should not be given to those who insult and defame Islam. Noticeably, there was no mention of specific individuals, events, or awards. There is also no mention of a death sentence or incitement to harm al-Qimni. The fatwa, rather, calls for a recourse to legal channels of reparation. In an interview with the Egyptian newspaper al-Dastur, a spokesperson for Dar al-Ifta made their position clear stating that the role of fatwas is not to condemn, punish, or sentence people, that is the role of the judiciary. Fatwas clarify the legal status of actions without considering those involved or making any pronouncements concerning them as individuals, they are not death threats.
Article originally published in al-Dustur July
30, 2009
Dar al-Ifta Denies Proclaiming al-Qimni an Apostate and Affirms: We Refuse to Allow Fatwas to Be Used in Political Games
By: Shayma Abd al-Latif
A spokesperson at Dar al-Ifta said, “Dar al-Ifta is not responsible for the fatwas proclaiming Dr. Sayyid al-Qimni an apostate. We do not involve ourselves in disputes with any kind of group and we will not stand in judgment of their intellectual output. Furthermore, we distance ourselves from allowing our fatwas to be used as means of revenge in political games against certain individuals.”
He added, “The party responsible for judging al-Qimni, or anybody else for that matter, is the judiciary. There is a difference between issuing fatwas and court decisions.” He clarified that, “The role of fatwas is to clarify the ruling of the Shari’ah concerning matters of Islamic jurisprudence which are not attached to specific names or individuals.” He further indicated that, “The fatwa that was issued recently by Dar al-Ifta revolved around the issue of honoring individuals who defame Islam and prophethood. The response to the question clarified that it is necessarily known in the religion that aggrandizing the Shari’ah, the religion, and the status of the Prophet (may the peace and blessings of God be upon him) is one of the greatest pillars of the Shari’ah and one of the most important and grand duties. God says in the Qur’an, And whoever venerates the signs of God, that is the piety of hearts [22:32]; Surely We have sent you as a witness, good tidings to bear, and warning, that you may believe in God and His Messenger and succor Him, and reverence Him, and that you may give Him glory at the dawn and in the evening [48:8-9]; Those who malign God and His messenger, God has cursed them in the world and the Hereafter, and has prepared for them the doom of the disdained [33:57]; and Make not the calling of the Messenger among you as your calling one of another. God knows those of you who steal away, hiding themselves. And let those who conspire to evade orders beware lest grief or painful punishment befall them [24:63].
Muslims have formed a consensus that whoever curses the Prophet (may the peace and blessings of God be upon him) or slanders the religion of Islam has departed from Islam and the Muslims and deserves to be held accountable in this world and to be punished in the Afterlife. As has been stated in article 98 of the penal code, which criminalizes anyone who depreciates or insults one of the heavenly sent religions, one of their sects, or causes hard to the unity of the nation or the peace of the society.”
He added, “This fatwa was meant to forbid the honoring of individuals who defame Islam, it did not in any way refer to the writer Sayyid al-Qimni, it was a general fatwa.”
Fatwa Issued By Dar al-Ifta 7/9/09 Honoring those who defame the Prophet of Islam
Dar al-Ifta Denies Proclaiming al-Qimni an Apostate and Affirms: We Refuse to Allow Fatwas to Be Used in Political Games
By: Shayma Abd al-Latif
A spokesperson at Dar al-Ifta said, “Dar al-Ifta is not responsible for the fatwas proclaiming Dr. Sayyid al-Qimni an apostate. We do not involve ourselves in disputes with any kind of group and we will not stand in judgment of their intellectual output. Furthermore, we distance ourselves from allowing our fatwas to be used as means of revenge in political games against certain individuals.”
He added, “The party responsible for judging al-Qimni, or anybody else for that matter, is the judiciary. There is a difference between issuing fatwas and court decisions.” He clarified that, “The role of fatwas is to clarify the ruling of the Shari’ah concerning matters of Islamic jurisprudence which are not attached to specific names or individuals.” He further indicated that, “The fatwa that was issued recently by Dar al-Ifta revolved around the issue of honoring individuals who defame Islam and prophethood. The response to the question clarified that it is necessarily known in the religion that aggrandizing the Shari’ah, the religion, and the status of the Prophet (may the peace and blessings of God be upon him) is one of the greatest pillars of the Shari’ah and one of the most important and grand duties. God says in the Qur’an, And whoever venerates the signs of God, that is the piety of hearts [22:32]; Surely We have sent you as a witness, good tidings to bear, and warning, that you may believe in God and His Messenger and succor Him, and reverence Him, and that you may give Him glory at the dawn and in the evening [48:8-9]; Those who malign God and His messenger, God has cursed them in the world and the Hereafter, and has prepared for them the doom of the disdained [33:57]; and Make not the calling of the Messenger among you as your calling one of another. God knows those of you who steal away, hiding themselves. And let those who conspire to evade orders beware lest grief or painful punishment befall them [24:63].
Muslims have formed a consensus that whoever curses the Prophet (may the peace and blessings of God be upon him) or slanders the religion of Islam has departed from Islam and the Muslims and deserves to be held accountable in this world and to be punished in the Afterlife. As has been stated in article 98 of the penal code, which criminalizes anyone who depreciates or insults one of the heavenly sent religions, one of their sects, or causes hard to the unity of the nation or the peace of the society.”
He added, “This fatwa was meant to forbid the honoring of individuals who defame Islam, it did not in any way refer to the writer Sayyid al-Qimni, it was a general fatwa.”
Fatwa Issued By Dar al-Ifta 7/9/09 Honoring those who defame the Prophet of Islam