Fatwa issued against Kenya for constructing Kaaba replica

A senior mufti of Dargah-e-Alahazrat issued a fatwa on Friday against the East African country Kenya for constructing a replica of Kaaba, a day after issuing fatwa against the alleged mastermind of the Mumbai terror attack.

The fatwa claims the people who constructed the structure and the place where it was constructed were “un-Islamic”.

“It is against Islam to offer prayer at such a place and those who do so are not Muslims,” said the fatwa issued by Mufti Salim Noori.

The Kaaba is a building at the centre of Islam’s most sacred mosque, Al-Masjid al-Haram, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

The fatwa was issued after a video showing people thronging the Kaaba-like structure was circulated on social media. “I received many phone calls and messages from people inquiring about the validity of the structure. I personally watched the pictures and video before issuing the fatwa,” said Noori.

“Kabba is not a structure. It is a unique place, which is revered by Muslims all across the globe, and it cannot be changed. The construction of a similar structure is against Islam,” he added.

The mufti said the structure could only be justified if it was being used to train people for the Haj pilgrimage. “It is still not clear whether the structure is being used for training or for misleading innocent Muslims. It can be accepted as a model for training but in no case as an alternate to the holy Kaaba,” he said.

The fatwa has asked Muslims to boycott such structures.