Sara Ali Khan in trouble for Kedarnath visit, Islamic cleric issues fatwa and calls it 'haraam'

Actor Sara Ali Khan’s visit to Kedarnath Temple has drawn criticism from Uttar Pradesh-based Islamic cleric Maulana Mufti Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi, who has issued a fatwa over her offering prayers at the shrine. On Sunday, October 25, Sara was seen waiting in a queue outside the Kedarnath shrine for darshan. After offering prayers, she was seen outside the temple with folded hands.

In a video statement, the cleric said that worship according to another religion was “impermissible and haram under Sharia”. He also urged Sara to repent before Allah, saying she should do so “like a guilty person”.

“Several youngsters have asked me whether Sara’s act of worshipping at Kedarnath is permissible under Sharia. I want to make it clear that such acts are not permissible,” the cleric said in the video.

This is not the first time Sara has faced criticism from religious figures over her visits to Kedarnath. The latest controversy centres on the fatwa, a religious opinion or ruling on a question of Islamic law issued by a qualified Islamic scholar.

Sara, the daughter of actors Amrita Singh and Saif Ali Khan, has been visiting Kedarnath regularly for the past four years. Her debut film, Kedarnath, co-starring the late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, also faced opposition from right-wing groups in Uttarakhand around its release in 2018.

Meanwhile, the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC), which manages the Badrinath and Kedarnath temples, has made it mandatory for non-Hindu visitors seeking to offer prayers at the shrines to submit an affidavit.

BKTC Chief Executive Officer Sohan Singh Rangar confirmed to News18 that Sara’s team had submitted an affidavit before her visit.