New Delhi: In a controversial statement, Jamal Siddiqui, National President of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Minority Morcha, claimed that Sanatan Dharma predates Islam and that Indian Muslims are descendants of Lord Ram.
In an interview with India Today, Siddiqui linked Islamic teachings with ancient Hindu traditions, asserting that revered Hindu deities may also be acknowledged within the Islamic prophetic tradition.
'Our Identity Is Still Sanatani'
“Sanatan Dharma came much before Islam. It is the foundation of our civilisation,” Siddiqui told the publication, laying emphasis on the continuity of Indian cultural heritage. He added, “Muslims who do not believe in Ram and Krishna cannot be called Muslims,” suggesting a spiritual overlap between Hindu and Islamic worldviews.
Justifying his position using Islamic teachings, Siddiqui pointed to the Hadith and the Quran. “The Quran mentions 25 prophets, but according to Hadith and tradition, there were 1,24,000 prophets sent across the world. How can we say Lord Ram and Lord Krishna were not among them?” he asked. “They may well have been messengers of God.”
Siddiqui also said that though rituals of worship may have evolved, the cultural core has stayed intact. “Our identity is still Sanatani,” he added, indicating that the essence of Indian tradition transcends religious divisions.
‘All Muslims Descended from Ram’
Perhaps the most provocative of his assertions came when he said, “All Muslims are descendants of Lord Ram."
Earlier in an interview with The indian Express, Siddiqui had similarly said, "Our customs and the way we worship may differ but as Indians, we were and will remain Sanatanis (followers of Sanatan Dharma). If India’s Hindus represent a tree, we Muslims are its branches. The branches can remain protected only till the tree is unharmed."
