Lincoln Has Clear Position Against the Creed of the Majority, Says Mufti Gias Uddin Chowdhury

Allama Mufti Gias Uddin Chowdhury Fultali, chairman of Darul Fikr Wal Ifta Al Islami Bangladesh and son of Hazrat Allama Fultali (RA), has expressed concern over the appointment of Gaibandha-4 lawmaker Mohammad Shamim Qaiser Lincoln as deputy minister for religious affairs.

In a statement, he said Shamim Qaiser Lincoln is a follower of the Ahl-e-Hadith doctrine. According to him, followers of the doctrine offer what he described as self-styled interpretations of the Quran and Hadith, reject adherence to established schools of Islamic jurisprudence, and have labelled followers of the schools of jurisprudence as polytheists by issuing the fatwa that “following taqlid is shirk.” He said the majority of Muslims in Bangladesh follow the Hanafi school of jurisprudence and adhere to the interpretations of the Salaf al-Salih in understanding the Quran and Sunnah.

He said the appointment of a person from the Ahl-e-Hadith tradition to a sensitive ministry such as the Ministry of Religious Affairs has naturally become a matter of concern for the country’s majority Muslim population. According to him, Shamim Qaiser has a clear position against the beliefs, ideals and religious practices of the majority population.

“We have observed that when reports spread that Shamim Qaiser could be appointed deputy minister for religious affairs, many religious scholars urged the government not to assign him the ministry,” he said. “But by ignoring those appeals, the government has taken a position against the religious sentiments of the people. We believe this will not be beneficial for the government. We strongly condemn the decision.” He also urged the government to reconsider the appointment and assign the responsibility to another person whose views are compatible with the religious practices of the people and who is acceptable to Islamic scholars, noting that the ministry is directly involved in mosques, madrasas, Hajj and various other religious activities.