Can you cease to belong to a particular religion simply because you have offered prayers in a different manner?

Sharp differences have emerged between rival Muslim sects over an edict issued by a particular seminary about the manner of offering namaz (prayers) at a funeral in a village in Modarabad district of Uttar Pradesh about a month ago.

Maulana Abdul Mannan Kaleemi , the Mufti of Moradabad and follower of the Barelvi school of Islam, on Tuesday declared at least 100 Muslim villagers as 'totally ostracized from Islam,' simply because they offered 'namaz' under the guidance of a Deobandi Maulana at a funeral.

"All those persons belonging to the Barelvi sect who offered namaz under the direction and guidance of the Deobandi Maulana have ceased to be Muslims," declared the Maulana at a press conference in Lucknow on Tuesday.

"Marriage of persons who participated in that namaz also stood automatically dissolved and they would now have to go for a fresh nikah (marriage rituals)," he asserted.

According to him, "All such persons will now have to first read the kalma (prayers) in order to once again get recognition as Muslims."

He claimed that the fatwa issued by him in this regard was 'strictly in line with the Shariat.'

Earlier, the Maulana decided to even ostracise Maulana Abul Irfan Firangi Mahali from his sect, since the latter had opposed his move on the 'namaz'. Firangi Mahali, however, refuted Kaleemi's claim.

"Who is he to throw me out of the Barelvi Jamat," he asked while declaring Kaleemi's edict as 'unauthorized' and 'meaningless.'