A statement by Islamic preacher Mozaffar bin Mohsin has recently sparked widespread debate and criticism on social media. In the statement, Mozaffar described those who do not perform the obligatory prayers as apostates and called for them to be killed.

In a 12-minute video uploaded to Mozaffar bin Mohsin’s verified page on May 1, he can be heard expressing support for killing those who do not pray. He said, “Those who do not pray must be killed. There is no disagreement among the imams on this matter. Listen carefully: those who do not pray must be killed, either by hanging or by being beheaded with a sword. There is no disagreement on this among the Companions of the Prophet, the Tabi‘un, the Tabi‘ al-Tabi‘un or the imams.”

Claiming that funeral prayers must not be held for those who do not pray and that they must not even be touched, even if they are one’s parents, he said, “Do you know where the disagreement lies? It is over whether funeral prayers should be performed after such a person has been killed. Those who do not pray are apostates and must be killed. There is no disagreement on that. A group of Islamic scholars say that funeral prayers may be performed because the person has already been killed and the prescribed punishment has been carried out, so there is no further problem. But most learned and respected scholars say: since the person was killed for being an apostate, why should funeral prayers be held for them? It is forbidden to touch them with your hands. Someone who does not pray has died—yes, died. Even if it is your father or mother, if they did not pray, you must not touch them. It is forbidden to handle them. You must not touch them; be very careful.”

He also claimed that such people could not be given a proper burial. He said, “If a polytheist dies, can you touch them? If an infidel dies, whether a Jew or a Christian, can you touch them with your hands? No, it is forbidden. The moment you touch them, you become impure. You must not touch them at all. Washing the body is a much later matter, brother. So what should you do? What do you do when a dog dies? What do you do? Do you tie a rope around its legs and drag it away? You take it away. Where do you bury it? In a remote forest, where there is no cultivation or water supply. You bury it there. Such a person is worse than a dog. Allah has said, ‘Rather, they are more astray.’ Yet the person who does not pray knows better than you. Do you know what they say? ‘Even if I do not pray, my faith remains intact.’ Tell me, how badly should this scoundrel be beaten? Astaghfirullah. They are doubly infidel, and very clever.”

Social media users have expressed negative reactions to Mozaffar’s remarks.

A user named Asif Ahmed shared the video and wrote, “Some extremists and militants like these are tarnishing the image of our religion of peace around the world. They want to place themselves in God’s position and judge what is sinful and what is virtuous.”

A user named Farzina Malek wrote, “This cleric is directly calling for people who do not pray to be killed. Not only must they be killed—that is for sure, according to him—but their funeral prayers must not be held either. Seriously? Out of the world’s six billion people, does that mean he and his followers would have to kill five billion?”

Mohammad Mojibur Rahman wrote, “Why is he not being arrested? Why is he not being arrested under the country’s laws? Will the government wake up only when the people take the law into their own hands? Islam does not permit killing anyone without war, let alone someone who does not pray or even an infidel. These are the real extremists.”

What Do Islamic Scholars Say About This Fatwa?

Leading Islamic scholars in the country have described Mozaffar bin Mohsin’s claim that those who do not pray must be killed and denied funeral prayers as objectionable and baseless. They also said he should be held accountable for making such statements. The Dissent contacted several Islamic scholars on the matter, although some declined to comment publicly under their names.

Maulana Azizul Haque Islamabadi, publicity secretary of Hefazat-e-Islam, said, “Such sweeping statements cannot be made. If a person has not renounced their faith, funeral prayers must be performed. There must be clear evidence that someone has renounced their faith. There is no rule that someone becomes an unbeliever for not praying and must therefore be killed. It is true that a hadith says that a person who deliberately abandons prayer has committed an act of disbelief. But that does not mean the person has become an unbeliever. To become an unbeliever, the person must reject Islam. If someone says, ‘I do not believe in Islam or prayer,’ then they would be an unbeliever.”

Popular Islamic preacher Mufti Rezaul Karim Abrar said, “What he has said is completely wrong. Under Islamic rule, he would be flogged for issuing a false fatwa. If someone becomes an infidel, they must renew their faith. But the Prophet did not say that someone who does not pray must renew their faith. Those who miss prayers are instructed to make them up. This kind of thinking is Khawarij and Daeshi ideology. Such statements are made to spread confusion within the Muslim community. The preacher claimed that most scholars agree that those who do not pray should be killed and denied funeral prayers. Which scholars? Which imam from the four schools of Islamic jurisprudence said this? No imam has said anything of the kind. Hadiths contain stern warnings about not praying, but nothing like this.”

Dr Abdullah Al-Maruf, an Islamic scholar and professor in the Department of Arabic at the University of Dhaka, said, “A person who does not pray is neither an infidel nor an apostate. Such a person is sinful. Being sinful does not mean someone has become an infidel. Rather, those who make such statements should be detained. The government should take steps to silence them. Do they have any qualifications to issue fatwas? They make such statements to mislead Muslim society after taking money from Jews. They say these things to destroy all our intellectual and physical efforts. As for funeral prayers, if they are not performed for sinners, whose funeral prayers will be performed? Funeral prayers are held to seek forgiveness for the deceased’s sins.”

Mozaffar Has Made Objectionable Statements Before

On August 27, 2014, a group of people brutally killed Nurul Islam Faruqui, a leader of Islami Front, after entering his home. At the time, police arrested Mozaffar bin Mohsin on charges of inciting the murder and took him into remand.

In an old video found on YouTube, Mozaffar bin Mohsin can be heard describing Maulana Nurul Islam Faruqui as the Dajjal, or Antichrist.

After a lengthy investigation, a report submitted by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on November 5, 2024, concluded that the militant group Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) had killed Maulana Faruqui because of ideological differences.

In the charge sheet, the case’s investigating officer stated, “The deceased, Nurul Islam Faruqui, was a follower of Sufi ideology and an Islamic preacher. He was a follower of a shrine. In contrast, the accused followed JMB ideology.”

The preacher is frequently seen making inflammatory statements and labelling various people infidels and adherents of religious innovations. In various speeches, Mozaffar bin Mohsin can be heard describing followers of Tablighi Jamaat as ignorant and uneducated. He has also called in several speeches for all shrines in Bangladesh to be demolished.

In one speech, he can be heard saying, “All shrines should be demolished under government orders. There is no need for the Rapid Action Battalion or the army. The army has been given magisterial powers. Every shrine in Bangladesh is a gambling den, a place for smoking cannabis and a centre for sexual activity. There is no end to the shamelessness and obscenity. Just give the signal, and all the young people will smash every shrine to pieces.”

Despite several attempts, The Dissent was unable to contact Mozaffar bin Mohsin.