CAIRO: Mohamed Said Tantawy, president of the Al-Azhar Institution, issued a fatwa, Islamic elicit, that accuses Muslims who offend Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) or his acquaintances, as being an infidel.
The fatwa is expected to cause fuss among liberal Islamic scholars and the Shia sector in Islam who often express doubts about some of Prophet Mohamed’s (PBUH) companions.
Abdel Moatie Bayoumy, member of the Islamic Research Center, told The Daily Star Egypt, that whoever accuses Prophet Mohamed s (PBUH) companions as liars, is also accusing the Quran of lying .
And whoever accuses the Quran of lying is considered an infidel, Bayoumy added.
Bayoumy also said that the Quran described the prophet’s companions as being great Muslims with high ethical values and morals, Who love God and God loves them back .
According to Bayoumy, whoever doubts the honesty of any of Prophet Mohamed s (PBUH) companions is committing a major sin .
The Daily Star Egypt previously reported an article published in Al Fajr newspaper, three weeks ago, by Mohamed El Baz, attacking Abou Huraira, who is one of the prophet’s companions and among the most prolific citers of the prophet sayings, and accused him of being a liar.
So by this fatwa, El Baz can be considered an infidel.
El Baz told The Daily Star Egypt that this fatwa is considered backwardness and a return to the middle ages, and added that it is no body s right to accuse any Muslim of being an infidel .
Sheikhs must learn to indicate that whatever they say is their personal opinions and not Islam s opinions, El Baz said.
However, according to El Baz, Tantawy specifically is being pressured by some strict Islamic groups and the Muslim Brotherhoods to come up with fatwas such as these.
