Claim: A fatwa issued by Jamia Darul Uloom Karachi states that voting for JUI-F is ‘haram’ as they ask for votes in the name of religion.
Fact: Darul Uloom Karachi did not issue such a fatwa. The image making rounds on social media is a doctored version of a fatwa about coronavirus prevention from 2020.
On 2 February 2024, a Facebook user posted an image (archive) with an Urdu caption,
جامعہ دارالعلوم کراچی کا فتویٰ آگیا ھے اپنے ایمان کا حفاظت کریں.
سب شیر کریں اپنا فریضہ نبائیں
[Translation: Jamia Darul Uloom Karachi has issued a fatwa, protect your faith. Share with others and do your duty]
The content of the Urdu notification in the image reads that using religion for political work is haram (forbidden). It also says the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam F (JUI-F)’s leader, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, has used Islam for his political position, and this is why all of us scholars have agreed that voting for JUI-F is forbidden and a sin.
Fact or Fiction?
Upon closer inspection, Soch Fact Check found that the date on the notification reads 27 March 2020. It is also noteworthy that the font of the notification is different, while the signature and other details are handwritten, which indicates that the image in question was manipulated or doctored.
Wrong date on doctored image
Furthermore, a Google keyword search of “darul uloom fatwa 2020” in Urdu led to a Facebook post published on 27 March 2020. The post features a signature and date similar to those on the recent viral post, suggesting that this is the original fatwa that was seemingly doctored for the viral post.
When translated from Urdu into English, the caption of the post reads, “Due to the coronavirus, the government has prohibited people from participating in Friday congregation beyond a limited number, and people should obey it, says Jamia Darul Uloom Karachi in a fatwa. According to the fatwa, those who cannot participate in Friday prayer should perform Zuhr prayer at their places, either in a group or individually.”
Original fatwa from 2020 shared during Covid-19 lockdown
In March 2020, the government at the time decided to limit the number of people praying in mosques to stop the spread of coronavirus across the country, and the fatwa was issued in the context of this decision.
Soch Fact Check tried contacting the official spokesperson of Darul Uloom Karachi but has yet to receive a response at the time of writing. However, JUI-F’s member Ihsan Ullah Khan posted a clarification from Jamia Darul Uloom, denying issuing any fatwa against any political party.
Virality
The image of the false fatwa was shared here, here and here on Facebook.
Conclusion: A Facebook post sharing a fatwa by Jamia Darul Uloom against voting for JUI-F is false. The Jamia has not issued such a fatwa ahead of the upcoming general elections in Pakistan.
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Background image in cover photo: Dawn
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