Sara Ali Khan Faces Fatwa Over Kedarnath Temple Visit
Actress Sara Ali Khan has come under criticism from an Islamic cleric after visiting the Kedarnath Temple in the state of Uttarakhand. Another Muslim scholar defends her right to visit places of worship.
Bollywood actress Sara Ali Khan has become the center of a religious controversy after visiting the Hindu Kedarnath Temple in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand. The Islamic cleric Maulana Mufti Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi from Uttar Pradesh has reportedly issued a fatwa against her, declaring her prayer in the Hindu shrine impermissible and "haram" under Islamic Sharia law.
According to reports, Sara Ali Khan visited the temple on October 25. There she reportedly joined other devotees in a queue to receive the blessing. After the prayer, she was seen outside the temple with her hands folded. She is also said to have taken part in religious rituals such as puja and aarti.
In a video message, Maulana Mufti Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi said that several young people had approached him asking whether a Muslim woman may visit a Hindu temple. Sharia, he said, does not permit Muslims to adopt the religious practices of other faiths or to take part in worship in temples. By doing so, Sara had acted against Islamic teachings and should ask Allah for forgiveness and refrain from such practices in the future.
The fatwa, however, has also met with opposition. Maulana Sajid Rashidi, president of the All India Imam Association, questioned the need to issue a fatwa against the actress. Every person should have the freedom to visit places of worship, and a religious ruling should not be required for every such question. Rashidi also pointed out that actors often portray characters of other religions in films and take part in scenes featuring religious rituals. Sara, like anyone else, should have the right to visit a temple or a mosque.
A fatwa is a religious opinion or interpretation that an Islamic scholar gives in response to a question on Islamic law. It is not, in itself, a court ruling or a legal punishment imposed by the state. Sara Ali Khan has so far not publicly commented on the current controversy.
According to the reports, the actress has been visiting Kedarnath regularly for four years and shares photos and videos of her trips there. Her connection to the temple also goes back to her Bollywood debut: in 2018 she starred in the film "Kedarnath" alongside the late Sushant Singh Rajput.
The Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC), which manages the two well-known shrines, now requires non-Hindu visitors who wish to pray to submit a sworn affidavit. According to reports, the committee's executive officer, Sohan Singh Rangar, confirmed that the actress's team had submitted this declaration before her most recent visit.
The controversy once again raises questions about religious identity, personal faith and the freedom of religious practice. While one cleric criticizes the actress's conduct on religious grounds, another defends her right to visit houses of worship.
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