'Wearing bangles from unknown males against Shariat'

Women trying bangles of different sizes and colours at cosmetic shops in markets is a common sight.

And incidentally, it is the shopkeeper who helps women put on bangles.

However, Islamic seminary Darul Uloom, Deoband, has issued a "fatwa" (religious decree) against such a practice.

It has said that Muslim women should not allow anyone, apart from their blood relatives, to help them put on bangles.  

"Wearing bangles from a strange man is against Shariat (Islamic law)," the fatwa, issued by the Darul Ifta (department of fatwa) of the seminary in response to a query, said.

In the query, a man from Deoband, situated in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur district, about 500 km from here, stated that usually the males did the work of putting the bangles on the hands of the women and sought to know if it was allowed in Islam.

Clerics replied that wearing the bangles was allowed but the women should themselves do it and not let anyone, other than their blood relatives, to do that.

Darul Uloom has in the past issued a number of fatwas, especially on issues concerning women.

It had earlier banned women from wearing tight burqa saying that it exposed the shape of their bodies and was against Islam.

A  few days ago, a fatwa by Darul Uloom termed insurance "un-Islamic" and asked Muslims not to get insured.