RAWALPINDI: Describing the existing Islamic banking by any name as against the Shariah and forbidden, religious scholars belonging to Fiqhi Majlis, Karachi, have
decreed that banks working in the name of Islamic banking are not different from other banks and dealing with them is illegitimate.

The decree was issued in a meeting at the Jamia Farooqia in Shah Faisal Colony chaired by Maulana Salimullah Jan, President of Tanzeematul Madaris and
Wafaqul Madaris, and attended by reputed religious scholars from all over the country. The meeting also discussed in detail the status of Islamic television channels in accordance with the Shariah and described their research and experiences in the light of questions and problems received at their respective centres. Some scholars also presented their research papers in this regard.

On the occasion, Maulana Salimullah Jan said that the religious scholars were contacting banks that had been claiming to practice Islamic banking and did research
on the prevailing banking practices in the light of the Holy Quran and Sunnah. He said they also held meetings with modern economic experts. He said after detailed consideration, the scholars unanimously declared the Islamic banking and television channels as illegitimate. The scholar also said the kinds of pictures of a living being so far introduced were liable to be dealt with in accordance with the religious commandments. He said the launching of any type of television channel or participation in any television programme declaring it was needed for preaching had also been declared illegitimate. He said the scholars appealed to the Muslims to avoid television like other deeds forbidden by the Shariah.

The participants of the meeting included Mufti Abdul Hameed Deenpuri (Jamia-al-Aloom Islamia, Banori Town), Mufti Habibullah Sheikh (Jamia Islamia, Clifton), Mufti Rafiq Ahmed and Mufti Saif Alam (Banori Town), Mufti Abdullah (Khairul Madaris, Multan), Mufti Ghulam Qadir (Darul Aloom Haqqani, Akora Khattak), Mufti Ahmed
Mumtaz (Jamia Khulafa-e-Rashdeen, Karachi), Mufti Zarwali Khan (Jamia Ahsanal-Aloom), Mufti Ehteshamul Haq (Jamia Rasheedia, Turbat, Mekran), Maulana
Saeed Ahmed Jalalpuri (Alami Majlis Khatam-e-Nabuwwat), Maulana Dr Manzoor Ahmed Mengal (Jamia Farooqia), Mufti Hamid Hassan (Darul Aloom, Kabirwala), Mufti Abdul Ghaffar (Jamia Ashrafia, Sukkur), Mufti Saaduddin (Jamia Ilmia, Lakki Marwat), Mufti Gul Hassan (Jamia Rehmia, Sarki Road, Quetta), Mufti Rozi Khan (Darul Afta Rahania, Quetta), Mufti Qazi Salimullah (Darul Huda, Khairpur), Nazir Ahmed Shah (Jamia Farooq-e-Azam, Faisalabad), Mufti Saeedullah (Jamia Arabia
Naeemul Islam, Quetta), Mufti Samiullah (Jamia Farooqia), Mufti Ahmed Khan and others. (The News International)