Entertainment: Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi, President of the All India Muslim Jamaat, has strongly criticised Bollywood superstar Salman Khan for donning a limited-edition “Ram Janmabhoomi” watch. Bareilvi deemed the act forbidden (haram) in Islam and urged the actor to seek repentance and adhere to Islamic principles.
Addressing the media, Bareilvi stated that it is not permissible for any Muslim, including Salman Khan, to endorse non-Islamic religious symbols or institutions. He emphasized that such actions contradict Islamic teachings and urged the actor to seek forgiveness (toba) and refrain from repeating the act.
The cleric asserted that respecting and following Islamic law (Shariah) is essential, and promoting religious symbols of other faiths is unjustifiable and forbidden. He equated wearing and promoting the “Ram Edition” watch to endorsing idol worship, which he deemed unacceptable in Islamic law.
The controversy arose after Salman Khan was seen wearing the distinctive timepiece in an Instagram post related to his upcoming film Sikandar. The luxury watch features a gold dial, an orange strap, and engravings of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple, with inscriptions of Hindu deities on the bezel.
The Ram Janmabhoomi temple’s Pran Pratishtha ceremony took place on January 22 last year, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The temple houses an idol of Ram Lalla, sculpted by Arun Yogiraj of Karnataka, which stands 51 inches tall and weighs 1.5 tonnes, depicting Lord Ram as a five-year-old standing on a lotus.
Bareilvi’s remarks have sparked debates on religious symbolism in public life and the intersection of faith and celebrity influence in India.
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