The Retraction of the Fatwa by Muslim Scholars

THE WAY FORWARD Engaging in hasty actions against evil goes against God’s plan and ultimately results in remorse. Unfortunately, in the case of Salman Rushdie, the majority of the Muslim world fell prey to this ignorance. Upon hearing news of the controversy through the media, without conducting proper research or seeking consultation, many individuals engaged in verbal jihad. However, in the end, they had to retreat in regret and repentance. 1. Indian scholars, such as Maulana Syed Abu Al Hasan Ali Nadvi (former Rector, Nadwatul Ulema Lucknow) and Maulana Abul Lais Islahi (former Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami, India), initially issued statements in support of the fatwa. However, subsequent developments revealed that their initial support was incorrect. As a result, both scholars revised their previous statements and published a second statement in the newspaper (refer to page 76-77 of the book under review). 2. In the early stages of this incident, a meeting of Muslim leaders took place in Makkah under the auspices of the Muslim World League (Rabitat al-Alam al-Islami). During this meeting, these officials proclaimed Salman Rushdie as an apostate, and according to Islamic law, the punishment for apostasy was death (refer to page 47 of the book under review). Following this, a meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Conference was held in Riyadh, attended by highranking officials from 46 Muslim countries. During this