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Ali Khamenei's fatwa against insulting revered Sunni figures

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Khamenei during a public address on the "common worry" of terrorism, 2016

On 30 September 2010, Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei issued a high-level fatwa (a type of ruling on Islamic law) prohibiting the insulting by Shia Muslims of any of the companions of Muhammad, all of whom are held in high regard by Sunni Muslims.[1] His issuing of the fatwa occurred after Kuwaiti Shia cleric Yasser al-Habib publicly denounced Aisha bint Abi Bakr, who was a wife of Muhammad, as an "enemy of God" and celebrated her death anniversary, which prompted Kuwait's government to revoke his citizenship and triggered strife between Shia and Sunni communities globally.[1] Khameini's fatwa was met with mixed reactions across the Muslim world, including backlash from al-Habib.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] The incident also gained much attention in Western media following the Iranian government's accusation that Shia–Sunni tensions had been orchestrated by Israel and the Western world; Khamenei particularly condemned so-called "MI6 Shiites" for participating in and broadcasting activities that are seen by Sunnis as sacrilegious, such as insulting the companions (namely Aisha, Abu Bakr, and Umar) or engaging in ritual mourning by self-flagellating.[1][8]

The fatwa is binding only upon those who tie themselves by taqlid (conforming entirely to a scholar's opinion) to Khamenei. As such, Twelver Shias following other marājiʿ (highest Shia clerical rank) who disagree with the ruling are not obliged to treat it as binding and may even act against it.[9] Prominent Shia scholars who share the opinion embodied in Khamenei's fatwa include Mohammad-Taqi Bahjat, Ali al-Sistani,[citation needed] Naser Makarem Shirazi, Abdul-Karim Mousavi Ardebili, Mousa Shubairi Zanjani.[10][better source needed]

Background

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In August 2010, London-based Kuwaiti Shia cleric al-Habib celebrated Aisha's death anniversary at a Hussainiya and stated that celebrating her death is necessary for the victory of Islam.[11][12] The report of the celebration was published on his website and aired on Fadak Satellite Channel in the United Kingdom.[12][13] The online publication of al-Habib's speech about Aisha, especially in a video posted on YouTube, provoked anger among Sunnis, who view Aisha and all of the other companions and wives of Muhammad with reverence.[12][14] The incident sparked tensions between Shia and Sunni communities globally, and on 20 September 2010, the Kuwaiti government revoked al-Habib's citizenship on the charges of insulting religious symbols and attempting to excite sedition in Kuwait.[1][15] In Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, a number of Shia clerics condemned his actions and stated that he had abandoned the sect's beliefs.[16]

Fatwa

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Several Shia clerics in Saudi Arabia asked Khamenei to express his view on the incident amidst rising sectarian tensions between Shias and Sunnis.[1][17][14][1][17] Khamenei's ensuing fatwa was as follows:

"Disrespecting the pure wives of the Prophet should be avoided. The Prophet’s wives are all respectable; anyone who insults any of them has insulted the Prophet. I resolutely declare this offensive. The Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali, treated her eminence Aisha in such a respectful manner. He treated a woman, who had come to fight against him, with the utmost respect because she was the Prophet’s wife; otherwise, the Commander of the Faithful would not stand on a ceremony with anyone: hence, no such disrespect should ever occur."

— Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iran (2010)[1][18][19][20]

Reaction

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News agency Reuters described the fatwa issued by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as receiving "widespread praise".[1]

Domestic

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Iranian parliamentarian Ali Motahari said Khamenei's stress on Islamic unity in the fatwa indicates his accurate assessment of the situation.[21] According to Sunni clerics in Iran's Golestan Province, Khamenei showed his knowledge and prevented the sedition of enemies.[22]

Foreign

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This fatwa received various reactions in Arabic media, including daily newspapers Al-Anba and AlRay AlAam in Kuwait, As-Safir in Lebanon, Al Watan and Okaz in Saudi Arabia, Al-Hayat in London, the daily newspaper Al-Shorouk and radio and television broadcasters in Egypt, and some Arabic satellite television channels. Al Jazeera reviewed the fatwa and its effect on the Islamic unity, repeating it in several news broadcasts.[1][23][19][17][14] Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, the most prominent Sunni scholar in Cairo, praised the fatwa in an interview on Al Jazeera.[1] He said the fatwa had been published at the right time and could help to control sectarian tensions.[24][25] Hassan Nasrallah, secretary-general of Hezbollah of Lebanon, said during a meeting with the leader of the Nahdlatul Ulama in Indonesia Said Aqil Siradj, said the fatwa disappointed those who tried to harm Islamic unity.[26] Many authorities supported the fatwa, including the secretary general of the Lebanese Ummah Movement, Abdul Nasser Al-Jabri; the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan, Hammam Saeed;[27][28] Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umri;[29] Sheikh Maher Mezher, the head of the Sunni society to support the resistance in Lebanon;[30] secretary general of the Jordanian Islamic Action Front (IAF), Hamza Mansour;[31] and the Lebanese Islamic Action Front.[32][33]

Abdel Moaty Bayoumi, professor of theology and philosophy at Egypt's Al-Azhar University, said the fatwa was incomplete because it focused only on Aisha.[34] Mohamed Megahed al-Zayat, vice-director of the National Center for Middle East Studies, criticized the Iranian media for not paying much attention to the fatwa. He said it targets Arabs and could not affect Sunni Arab people, pointing to the political background of the fatwa.[34]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Hammond, Andrew (13 October 2010). "Iran leader wins plaudits over sectarian strife fatwa". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2019-02-07. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  2. ^ Zain, Ali (15 June 2016). "Insulting Mother of the Faithful, Aisha, prohibited by Ayatollah Khamenei". Archived from the original on 2019-02-07. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  3. ^ "دور فتوى خامنئي في درء الفتنة الطائفية". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 2019-02-07. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  4. ^ "الاستفتاء دفاعاً عن عائشة". Okaz. 6 October 2010. Archived from the original on 2019-02-07. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  5. ^ "فتوى الامام الخامنئي بتحريم الإساءة إلى رموز أهل السنة والسيدة عائشة تلاقی اهتماماً واسعاً في لبنان". Alahad.
  6. ^ ""فتوى لـ"خامنئي" تحرّم الإساءة لزوجات الرسول ورموز أهل السنة"". Al Arabiya. October 2010. Archived from the original on 2019-02-07. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  7. ^ "خامنئي يحرّم الإساءة للسيدة عائشة". aljazeera. Archived from the original on 2019-01-28. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  8. ^ Azizi, Arash. "Iran targets 'MI6 Shiites'". Archived from the original on 2017-11-07.
  9. ^ "Alqatrah - Sheikh al-Habib takes an oath to 'publicly' voice opposition to the enemies of Ahlul Bayt and warns al-Khamenei". Archived from the original on 2019-06-22. Retrieved 2019-06-22.
  10. ^ "نظر مراجع تقلید درباره توهین به مقدسات اهل سنت". خبرگزاری مهر | اخبار ایران و جهان | Mehr News Agency (in Persian). 2019-11-06. Retrieved 2022-02-04.
  11. ^ "الكويت: الغاء جنسية رجل الدين الشيعي ياسر الحبيب 20 سبتمبر/ أيلول 2010". BBC News عربي. 20 September 2010. Archived from the original on 2018-06-23. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  12. ^ a b c "Yasser Al-Habib, the cleric who lives in London". Archived from the original on 2018-06-19. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  13. ^ "The falsified hadith Attributed to Shia, published on fadak, Ahl-e-Bait TV , Salaam TV channel". 12 September 2013. Archived from the original on 2018-06-20.
  14. ^ a b c "A fatwa that offset the sedition between Muslims". Archived from the original on 2019-02-07. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  15. ^ "الكويت: إسقاط جنسية الحبيب بعد "التطاول" على عائشة". Archived from the original on 2018-03-03. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  16. ^ "صورة ضوئية مما سبق نشره في اليوم مشايخ ومثقفو الشيعة بالأحساء والبحرين يشجبون احتفالات الشماتة بـ "أم المؤمنين "". 15 September 2010. Archived from the original on 2019-02-07. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  17. ^ a b c News Desk (8 July 2017). "Khamenei issued a fatwa prohibiting insulting Aisha, Prophet Muhammad's (SAW) wife". Free Press Kashmir. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  18. ^ "Ayatollah Khamenei's Fatwa about Insulting ʻAisha". Archived from the original on 2019-02-07. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  19. ^ a b "Ayatollah Khamenei's fatwa: Insulting the Mother of the Faithful Aisha is prohibited". Archived from the original on 2019-01-21. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  20. ^ ""Insulting Symbols of Sunni Brothers Forbidden": Imam Khamenei". Archived from the original on 2019-02-07. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  21. ^ "A practical action towards Islamic unity". 6 October 2010. Archived from the original on 2019-02-07. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  22. ^ "Shiites and Sunnis neutralize any conspiracy of the enemies of Islam,Supreme Leader is a sign of unity of the Islamic world". 12 October 2010. Archived from the original on 2018-06-20. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  23. ^ "دور فتوى خامنئي في درء الفتنة الطائفية". Archived from the original on 2019-02-07. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  24. ^ "Islamic unity in the view of the leader of the revolution and its global impacts". 10 August 2016. Archived from the original on 2018-06-20. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  25. ^ وطل, بص. "الأزهر يشيد بفتوى "خامنئي" تحريم سب الصحابة". Archived from the original on 2019-02-07. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  26. ^ "emphasis of Hassan Nasrallah on the need to preserve the unity of Muslims". 5 October 2010. Archived from the original on 2019-02-07. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  27. ^ "إخوان الأردن يرحبون بفتوى خامنئي". الجزیره. Archived from the original on 2019-02-07. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  28. ^ ""إخوان الأردن" يرحبون بفتوى خامنئي بتحريم الإساءة لأم المؤمنين ورموز السنة". Archived from the original on 2019-02-07. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  29. ^ "Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei's Fatwa against Insulting Of Companions of Prophet". Archived from the original on 2019-02-07. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  30. ^ "إشادات لبنانية بفتوى الإمام الخامنئي حول رموز السنّة وزوجات الرسول (ص)". 3 October 2010.
  31. ^ ""«العمل الاسلامي" يثمن فتوى خامنئي بتحريم النيل من "أم المؤمنين"". Archived from the original on 2019-02-07. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  32. ^ "Insulting Symbols of Sunni Brothers Forbidden, By Imam Khamenei". Archived from the original on 2019-02-07. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  33. ^ "Al-Azhar Chancellor, Religious Leaders Hail Ayatollah Khamenei's Fatwa". Archived from the original on 2019-02-07. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  34. ^ a b Osman, Ahmed Zaki (5 October 2010). "Experts: Iran fatwa on Prophet's wife will not bridge Sunni-Shia divide". Archived from the original on 2019-04-17. Retrieved 2019-04-17.
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