A Muslim preacher from Uttar Pradesh has launched an attack on Bollywood star Sara Ali Khan for visiting the Kedarnath Temple in Uttarakhand, calling her prayers a “shirk and grave sin under Sharia law.” A fatwa against the actor has also been issued by the Bareilly-based cleric, identified as Maulana Mufti Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi. He is the national president of the All India Muslim Jamaat.
“I have received information, and many young Muslims have also asked me regarding actress Sara Ali Khan visiting the Kedarnath Temple and offering prayers. Is this permissible in light of Sharia, and does Sharia allow for such actions? I would like to clarify the perspective of Islamic Sharia and what its ruling is on this matter. For any Muslim, whether a man or a woman, to participate in the faith of another religion, offering prayers and performing religious rituals, is considered impermissible (najayaz). Such actions are not allowed.”
“Sara Ali Khan performed the actions of visiting the Kedarnath Temple, standing in queue for darshan for half an hour, offering prayers, and seeking blessings of her own free will and volition. This is shirk (idoltary/polytheism). She has committed a sin, an act of haram. She must repent, and only then can she be forgiven. Otherwise, she will remain a great sinner in the eyes of Sharia and Allah and will be answerable to him,” he further fumed.
#WATCH | Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh: All India Muslim Jamaat National President Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi says, "I have received information, and many young Muslims have also asked me regarding actress Sara Ali Khan visiting the Kedarnath Temple and offering prayers. Is this permissible in light of Sharia, and does Sharia allow for such actions? Regarding this, I would like to clarify the perspective of Islamic Sharia and what its ruling is on this matter. For any Muslim, whether a man or a woman, to participate in the faith of another religion, offering prayers and performing religious rituals, is considered impermissible (najayaz) under Sharia. Such actions are not permitted… Therefore, if Sara Ali Khan performed these acts—visiting the Kedarnath Temple, offering prayers, and seeking blessings—of her own free will and volition, then she has committed a sin—an act that is haram…"
— ANI (@ANI) October 30, 2026
Non-Hindus who seek to pray at the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple must present an affidavit in accordance with its committee’s norms. Sohan Singh Rangar, CEO of BKTC, reportedly told News18 that her team had filed the necessary paperwork prior to her arrival.
The daughter of Saif Ali Khan and his first wife, Amrita Singh, has repeatedly been targeted by Islamists for visiting Hindu religious sites and celebrating Hindu festivals. In 2024, she received a barrage of attacks from Islamists on Instagram after she extended greetings on the Hindu festival of Ganesh Chaturthi. Her post was subjected to a lot of hate comments from Islamists, with some excommunicating her from the fold of Islam, while others resorted to name-calling her and abusing her with derogatory and religion-centric slurs.
The same episode unfolded when Khan went to a Shiva temple in Lucknow with her “Zara Bachke Zara Hatke” co-star Vicky Kaushal in 2023. She was charged with doing “shirk” and told to feel “shame” for going to a Hindu place of worship. The same year, she was similarly abused for visiting Kedarnath. She was accused of being a Muslim only in name, ordered to read the Quran and reminded that no one is greater than Allah. She was even declared a non-Muslim for committing “shirk,” which is considered unforgivable.
Interestingly, Sara Ali Khan’s first movie, which was released in 2018, was also named “Kedarnath” and starred late Sushant Singh Rajput.
