SIB AGAINST GAZWA-E-HIND

This concept, often invoked by Pakistani-based extremist groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba, refers to a supposed prophetic “holy war” against India to conquer it for Islam, promising paradise to participants. However, mainstream Islamic scholars, including those from Sufi, Deobandi, Barelvi, and Salafi schools, widely regard it as a fabricated or weakly authenticated hadith (saying of Prophet Muhammad) with no basis in authentic Islamic theology. It is seen as a tool for radicalization, particularly to incite violence in Kashmir and incite Indian Muslims against their own country.

SIB’s Active Opposition

The SIB has consistently campaigned against “Gazwa-e-Hind” since at least 2021, viewing it as an anti-national, imported ideology from Pakistan that distorts Sufi teachings of coexistence. Key actions include:

• Formal Complaints to Authorities: The SIB has repeatedly written to India’s Home Ministry (@HMOIndia), Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and state police departments (e.g., in Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, and Goa) urging action against groups propagating this narrative. For instance:
  • In January 2025, they sent a detailed letter to the Home Ministry highlighting “Gazwa-e-Hind” as a conspiracy disguised under “Mavia ideology” (referring to Muawiya, a figure some extremists idolize as the “father of Islamic terrorism”).
  • In October 2024, they alerted Goa’s Chief Minister and DGP about Bareilvi sub-sects (a Sunni faction) promoting it alongside the “Sar Tan Se Juda” (beheading for blasphemy) slogan, calling it a “Taliban-style” threat to India’s laws.
  • As recently as October 21, 2025, they reiterated complaints about Bareilvi leaders like Tauqeer Raza allegedly plotting anarchy via this ideology.
• Public Campaigns and Statements: On X (formerly Twitter), the SIB’s official account (@sufiboard) has posted extensively:
  • In October 2025, they linked “Gazwa-e-Hind” to efforts by the “Sar Tan Se Juda Bareilvy Maslak” to create anarchy, sharing media links to support their claims.
  • In June 2025, they celebrated the death of a Jaish-e-Mohammed commander advocating “Gazwa-e-Hind,” stating such propagators “should meet the same fate… sent to meet 72 Hoors at the earliest.”
  • In April 2025, they condemned a Karnataka attack on a woman as a “Taliban-style” act by “Gazwa-e-Hind gangs,” questioning if India was turning into Afghanistan.
  • In May 2025, they tied it to broader anti-national slogans like “Sar Tan Se Juda,” accusing Bareilvi groups of importing Pakistani extremism.
• Broader Advocacy: The SIB promotes Sufi debates (munazra) to educate against radical ideologies, such as one in Bangalore on “Munafeqat E Mavia” (hypocrisy of Muawiya). They position Sufism as a bulwark against extremism, emphasizing national harmony and rejecting violence in religion’s name. In August 2024, they even demanded the Waqf Board be shifted to the Home Ministry to curb misuse by radical elements.

Why SIB Opposes It: Theological and National Grounds

• Theological Rejection: Aligning with scholars like Maulana Waris Mazhari (Darul Uloom Deoband) and Maulana Mufti Mushtaq Tijarvi (Jamaat-e-Islami Hind), the SIB argues the hadith is inauthentic—reported by only one companion of the Prophet and absent from major collections like Sahih Bukhari or Muslim. It may have been fabricated during the Umayyad era to justify invasions like Muhammad bin Qasim’s in 711 CE. Sufi saints historically blessed India’s syncretic culture, not conquest.
• National Security Concern: As Indian Muslims, the SIB sees “Gazwa-e-Hind” as a Pakistani ploy to destabilize India, misguide youth, and fuel communal violence. It contradicts Islamic principles against fighting one’s homeland and promotes “political Islam” over spiritual Sufism.

This stance has drawn support from interfaith groups and aligns with books like What Is The Reality Of Ghazwa-E-Hind? (2024, Khusro Foundation), which debunks the narrative through essays by Sufi and other scholars. Despite controversies (e.g., Deoband’s 2015 fatwa briefly validating a version, later clarified as historical), the SIB’s efforts highlight internal Muslim pushback against extremism.