The Grand Mufti of the Conference of Islamic Organisations (CIO), Sheikh DhikruLlahi Shafi’i, has provided an Islamic jurisprudential breakdown of discretionary punishment (ta’zir) and the sanctity of holy sites, addressing the viral controversy following Saudi Arabia’s execution of two Bangladeshi nationals, Muslim News Nigeria reports.
Speaking during his midweek Fatwa session in Lagos, the renowned Islamic scholar addressed the public debate that followed the execution of Nazrul Islam Abdul Basir and Siti Akhtar by Saudi authorities on Wednesday, 14 October 2026. The incident sparked viral social media narratives claiming that the pair were a newlywed couple executed solely for kissing or engaging in intimacy near the Kaaba inside Masjid al-Haram.
An investigative report by Muslim News confirmed that these claims are entirely false and accompanied by unrelated footage aimed at distorting Islamic legal practice and misleading the global public.
Clarifying Islamic criminal jurisprudence, Sheikh Shafi’i highlighted the distinction between fixed scriptural penalties (hadd) prescribed for defined offenses and discretionary penalties (ta’zir) determined by competent judicial authorities based on offense severity and public deterrence.
The Grand Mufti explained that within classical Islamic legal consensus, the upper threshold of ta’zir can permissibly extend to capital punishment under exceptional circumstances where severe misconduct threatens public order or moral sanctity.
The scholar connected the legal weight of the sentencing to the sacred setting of the alleged offense, citing Qur’an 22:25, which underscores the divine sanctity of Makkah’s holy precincts and warns against wrongdoing within its boundaries.
Official public statements from Saudi authorities described the offense as an indecent act inside a Mosque in Makkah without disclosing the exact conduct or confirming that it occurred inside Masjid al-Haram. Sheikh Shafi’i emphasized that access to the complete court judgment is necessary to evaluate the exact evidentiary grounds upon which the death sentence was applied.
The development has also led to diplomatic friction between Dhaka and Riyadh. According to Muslim News, the Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry confirmed that neither its headquarters nor its diplomatic mission in Saudi Arabia received prior notification before the executions were carried out, prompting the Bangladeshi government to formally request the certified judicial ruling.
Cautioning Muslims against amplifying unverified reports, Sheikh Shafi’i urged adherence to the foundational Quranic command of investigation (at-tabayyun wa-tathabbut) as outlined in Qur’an 49:6 and Qur’an 4:83. He stressed that believers must critically scrutinize online claims through credible scholars and authoritative media rather than spreading rumors that damage religious and diplomatic relations.
u
