Sara Ali Khan Faces Fatwa Over Kedarnath Visit; Islamic Cleric Asks To ‘Repent Before Allah’

A fatwa has reportedly been issued against Bollywood actress Sara Ali Khan by Uttar Pradesh-based Islamic cleric Maulana Mufti Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi over her visit to the Kedarnath Temple. The cleric claimed that Islamic Sharia does not permit Muslims to participate in the religious practices of other faiths.

Speaking about the controversy, the Maulana said, “I want to make it clear that Islamic Sharia does not permit its followers to engage in shirk.” He further added, “This means that no Muslim, whether a man or a woman, is allowed to adopt the religious practices of another faith or worship at a temple,” as reported by Bhaskar English.

The cleric reportedly described worshipping at another religion’s place of worship as “impermissible and haram” under Sharia law. He also said that Sara should repent before Allah like a “guilty person”. Addressing questions about whether the actress’s visit to Kedarnath was permissible, he reiterated, “I want to make it clear that such acts are not permissible.”

Sara recently visited Kedarnath Temple to seek blessings, with reports stating that the actress arrived by helicopter and joined devotees waiting for darshan. On October 25, she was reportedly seen standing in the queue before offering prayers with folded hands. According to media reports, Sara also participated in puja and aarti and visited the Bhukunt Bhairav Temple. Despite the chilly weather, she continued with her visit, with some reports claiming that women devotees offered her a shawl to help her keep warm.

Her visit comes nearly eight years after she first travelled to the region in 2017 to shoot her Bollywood debut film, Kedarnath, co-starring the late Sushant Singh Rajput. Since then, Sara has returned to the shrine several times and has often shared glimpses of her visits on social media. In October 2025, she posted pictures from the temple with a heartfelt note expressing gratitude for the role Kedarnath has played in her life.