Fatwa issued on use of mobile ringtones

According to recent reports, a panel of clerics from the Kanpur-based Madrasa Jamia Ashraf-ul-Madaris has issued a fatwa over mobile phone etiquette. The panel has objected to the use of aayats (verses from the Koran) as ringtones.

In this fast-paced world, many of us keep religious hymns and music as ringtones on our mobile phones, maybe as a small gesture towards remembering God.

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However, according to recent reports, a panel of clerics from the Kanpur-based Madrasa Jamia Ashraf-ul-Madaris has issued a fatwa over mobile phone etiquette. The panel has objected to the use of aayats (verses from the Koran) as ringtones. The Islamic group argues that people who use aayats as ring tones and answer their cell phone midway through the aayat commit a sinful act.

The panel of clerics in Kanpur also said that taking a cellphone to the toilet as it rings is a sin because aayat cannot be heard in a toilet. They also condemned the habit that people have of keeping cell phones on vibration mode while attending prayer services.

A fatwa is a legal pronouncement in Islam, issued by a religious law specialist on a specific issue.