In response to Ayatollah Arafi’s letter to Indian scholars, the head of the Society of Clerics of Maharashtra said, “Your long-standing view on Indian issues is commendable. We obey to the commands of the Islamic Seminaries and wilayah.” RNA – In an exclusive interview with Rasa News Agency, Hujjat al-Islam Sayyed Mohammad-Aslam Rizvi, the president of the Society of Clerics of Maharashtra, India, responded to the letter issued by Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, the head of the Islamic Seminaries of Iran.
He addressed the scholars and religious leaders of India and expressed his satisfaction, saying, “Your lofty vision on issues regarding India is very commendable. We, as soldiers of the Islamic Seminaries and wilayah (guardianship), obey your orders and the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution [Ayatollah Khamenei].”
The letter of Hujjat al-Islam Sayyed Mohammad-Aslam Rizvi is as follows:
Hadhrat Ayatollah Arafi,
The head of the Islamic Seminaries of Iran
as-Salamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuh [May the peace, mercy and blessings of God be upon you]
Undoubtedly, the religion of Islam and its teachings, in addition to giving attention to all aspects of human life, provides a deep look at the happiness of not only the followers of Islam, but rather it also gives attention to the happiness of the followers of all religions and beyond – to all of mankind. With the help of the shari’ah (religious law) and the station that is given to rationality, the worldly life and the hereafter are taken into consideration, and on this basis, the duty of serving is considered the concern of all of humanity.
Islamic scholars and jurists in the Indian subcontinent, as in the past, continue to exchange ideas and interact with the leaders of different religions in order to overcome all problems, especially the pervasive and global problems concerning the Coronavirus, based on their duty toward the well-being of humanity. They have benefited from the valuable support and experience of the great scholars in Iran, especially the great religious authorities of the Shi’ah world (the sources of emulation), including Ayatollah Khamenei, and they are ready more than ever before for the necessary consensus and for cooperation in all fields.
As the servant of the Shi’ahs of India, especially the state of Maharashtra, I would like to thank you for your loving guidance and kind attention. I wish for the elimination of this pervasive tribulation from all human beings in every religion and denomination and I pray to God Almighty for the dignity of Islamic Iran, the Supreme Leader and the guardians of the borders of religion and spirituality.
May the peace, mercy and blessings of God be upon you,
Sayyed Mohammad-Aslam Rizvi,
President of the Society of Clerics of Maharashtra, India
Pune, India
12 Ramadhan, 1441 AH/6 May, 2020 CE
Rasa News Agency
112/975