Oru Adaar Love: Hyderabad seminary issues fatwa against Malayalam song over Prophet reference

A Hyderabad-based Islamic seminary on Thursday issued a fatwa seeking the removal of a controversial song titled “Manikya Malaraya Poovi” from Malayalam film Oru Adaar Love before its release.

In its fatwa, Darul Ifta Jamia Nizamia from Shibli Gunj in the Old City took exception to the song’s “objectionable references” to a love story between Prophet Mohammad and his wife, Khadijah Bivi, in Mecca. It asked the filmmakers to release the film only after removing the song.

“Our objection is not for the film, but a song that references the Prophet and his wife. The director should have used some other characters to depict the couple’s relationship. Why did he take the name of the Prophet? That is why we issued this fatwa seeking that the song be dropped from the film,” said Jamia Nizamia secretary Ahmed Ali.

The song, which features overnight Internet sensation Priya Prakash Varrier, has gone viral since its launch a few days ago. The fatwa was issued against the backdrop of some Muslim youngsters from the Old City lodging a complaint with the Falaknuma police on Wednesday, stating that the song had hurt their religious sentiments.

The police have registered an FIR against the filmmakers under Section 295a (deliberately hurting the religious sentiments) of the Indian Penal Code.