A local masjid’s diktat barring orchestra and singing non-Islamic songs during marriage and other functions of community members has resulted in a few organisations raising objections to it.
In an annual meeting on October 23, 2016, the Badriya Juma Masjid in Moodushedde on the outskirts of the city decided to bar community members from using orchestra and singing non-Islamic songs during nikah and other functions. The masjid committee members said that the khatib and the ustad of the masjid will not attend such events.
Reacting to the development, Democratic Youth Federation of India’s State president Muneer Katipalla said that the directive is un-Islamic and the masjid is forcing community members to behave only in a certain way. “While the wealthy people are allowed to use orchestra and flaunt their wealth during nikah, these directives are only meant for the poor and the average-earning community members,” he said A member of the masjid committee told The Hindu on Sunday that the decision to bar orchestra, in which women also sing, has been taken following a petition by a group of youngsters from the area. Following a detailed discussion with community members, the masjid committee issued the direction. The community members have accepted it and 11 nikahs were held without orchestra since October 2016, he said.
Shabbir Ahmed from Jamat-e-Islami Hind said that the Masjid is well within its right to issue such directions. “These are rules of the masjid to rid the community of practices that are against principles mentioned in the Quran. Nikah is to be performed in a simple way and the decision is in that direction,” he said. If a person is not interested in follow this directive, he can approach other masjids and get that khatib and ustad to perform nikah rites and other functions, he added.
