Mumbai: The All India Khilafat committee has cited four fatwas it has secured to back its claim that the iconic Khilafat House in Byculla is not a waqf property.Its chairman, Sarfraz Arzoo, said on Wednesday the panel wrote to four different religious organisations, both Sunni and Deobandi, seeking fatwas on whether a “leased property can be made a waqf”. “Clerics of all four organisations agree that a leased property cannot be made into a waqf property. Since Khilafat House is on the collector’s land leased to the Khilafat committee trust, it is not a waqf property,” he said.Many said fatwas are opinions and are not legally binding. “If the waqf board is claiming that it is a waqf property, let it prove that in the courts. Fatwas are opinions given according to the questions asked. They are not legally binding. Let the courts decide,” said businessman-educationist Nasir Jamal. Shoeb Khatib, former trustee of Juma Masjid, alleged that the Khilafat committee is misguiding people. “The land may be collector’s, but the Muslim trust which managed the structure before it was demolished is a waqf property and the committee must not hide behind fatwas.” The Khilafat House compound is undergoing redevelopment. A 17-storey tower is to come up, which will house a 125-bed hospital, offices and educational institutions of the Khilafat committee, including a BSc nursing institute, and a state-of-the-art conference hall.
