Mufti Azhar Hussain, 'City Qazi', Darul Uloom Deoband. (Photo: ANI)

NEW DELHI: The country's influential Islamic seminary, Darul Uloom Deoband , said today it won't conduct Muslim weddings where dance and music are part of the ceremonies, because such practices go against the religion, reported ANI.

If a wedding-related event with dance and music was held before the marriage - called ' Nikah ' - and if the cleric in charge of solemnising the union was unaware of it, then it is a different matter said the Uttar Pradesh-based Deoband.

"We won't conduct 'Nikah' in weddings where music and dance are happening and where there is a DJ. This is against Islam, (we) will boycott such weddings. If the music and dance happened before the 'nikah' ceremony and qazi (cleric) didn't know then it's different," said Mufti Azhar Hussain, identified as a 'City Qazi', to ANI.

Several fatwas have been issued by Deoband clerics since the beginning of the year.

The same seminary in February issued a 'fatwa' - a ruling given by an Islamic authority - against buying life insurance policies or getting property insured saying these practices are un-Islamic .

"Life and death are in the hands of Allah and no insurance company can guarantee a man's longevity. On the contrary, these insurance companies invest the premium paid by the purchaser of the policy and earn interest on the same, later distributing some of it among their clients. And any income earned through interest is haram (forbidden)," said a clutch of Deoband clerics.

Recently, another fatwa issued by them stated that women wearing designer or body-hugging 'burqas' - a long, loose garment covering the entire body - is not allowed in Islam.

"Veil and burqa are supposed to protect a woman from prying eyes. So, a woman wearing designer burqa or body-hugging outfit is strictly not allowed in Islam," said Deoband.

Also recently, Deoband clerics criticised a 15-year-old Muslim girl from Meerut for reciting verses from the Hindu book, the Bhagwat Gita, at a contest.

