KOZHIKODE: Is lighting a traditional lamp permitted in Islam? Does the intention behind the act matter, or is the act itself enough to make it religiously problematic? These fundamental questions have resurfaced in intense discussions among Kerala’s Muslim community after IUML leader and Perambra MLA Fathima Thahiliya was seen lighting a ceremonial lamp during the grand inauguration of a private restaurant in her constituency.
The visuals, which surfaced online this week, sparked an intense debate within Muslim League circles, religious forums, and various digital community groups. While some sections of society viewed the lamp-lighting as a customary cultural practice, others strongly questioned whether a Muslim public representative should participate in a ritual that many associate with specific religious symbolism.
Among those who openly criticised the MLA were noted Islamic scholar and educator Hussain Salafi and T K Ashraf, the state general secretary of the Wisdom Islamic Organisation. Ashraf argued that Muslim politicians increasingly face immense pressure to demonstrate inclusiveness in ways that sometimes end up blurring sensitive religious boundaries. He stated that some Muslim political leaders appear to believe that their mere visibility at temples, churches, and festivals of other communities is necessary for wider electoral acceptance. He further contended that such actions stem mostly from calculated political calculations rather than any genuine cultural engagement.
However, not everyone in the socio-political sphere shares that conservative view. Noted writer and social critic M N Karassery came out strongly in support of Fathima, describing the brewing controversy as an unnecessary escalation of a very simple, harmless act. He stated that Kerala has a long, rich tradition of inter-cultural interaction and pointed out that lamps have historically existed inside Muslim spaces as well.
Karassery recalled the widely discussed historic episode involving former state Education Minister P K Abdu Rabb, who had famously declined to light a ceremonial lamp at a public function despite megastar Mammootty attempting to hand him the lit flame. According to Karassery, incidents such as these demonstrate how a purely symbolic act has repeatedly and deliberately been turned into a highly contentious political and religious issue. Adding another dimension to the ongoing discussion, Kozhikode-based religious scholar Basheer Pattelthazham pointed to historical practices observed within traditional mosques themselves. He noted that prominent institutions such as the historic Idiyangara Sheikh Masjid in Kozhikode have proudly maintained the tradition of lighting lamps for generations. At the same time, Basheer drew a clear distinction between a lamp used simply as a source of light or a cultural symbol and one used as an integral part of a strict religious ritual. However, he explicitly observed that there is no scriptural prohibition against lighting a lamp at a secular public function that carries absolutely no element of worship.
The controversy was amplified after senior Samastha leader Abdul Hameed Faizi Ambalakkadavu appeared to sharply criticise the MLA in a Facebook post, though he intentionally chose not to mention her name. “Those in leadership are crossing the boundaries of religion. Those who should correct them remain completely silent and justify the wrongs. How true was the Prophet’s statement that a time would come when wrongs would be seen as right,” he wrote on his profile.
ലഘു വിവരണം
പേരാമ്പ്ര എംഎൽഎയും ലീഗ് നേതാവുമായ ഫാത്തിമ തഹ്ലിയ ഒരു റെസ്റ്റോറന്റ് ഉദ്ഘാടന ചടങ്ങിൽ നിലവിളക്ക് കൊളുത്തിയതിനെച്ചൊല്ലി കേരളത്തിൽ വലിയ രാഷ്ട്രീയ-മത സംവാദം ഉടലെടുത്തിട്ടുണ്ട്. മുസ്ലിം രാഷ്ട്രീയക്കാർ ജനപ്രീതിക്കായി മതപരമായ അതിർവരമ്പുകൾ ലംഘിക്കുകയാണെന്ന് ഹുസൈൻ സലഫിയും വിസ്ഡം ഓർഗനൈസേഷനും വിമർശിച്ചപ്പോൾ, വിളക്ക് കൊളുത്തുന്നത് വെറുമൊരു സാംസ്കാരിക ചിഹ്നം മാത്രമാണെന്ന് എം.എൻ കാരശ്ശേരിയും മറ്റ് ചില പണ്ഡിതരും ഫാത്തിമയെ പിന്തുണച്ച് വ്യക്തമാക്കി.
(With inputs from TNIE)
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