Sometime towards the end of the autumn festival of Navratri (September 22–October 2, 2025), a peculiar phenomenon was noticed in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, which led to a 48-hour internet shutdown in the city (September 28) to control potential civic disturbances and a stern warning from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
On a surface view, the appearance of posters stating: ‘I❤️M’ seemed harmless, even innocuous. But when, on September 28, Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali, Imam Eidgah, Qazi Lucknow and executive member of the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board, criticised the development, deeper introspection seemed necessary.
In a firm though mild censure, the Imam told the news agency ANI that, “There are certain etiquettes of expressing our love for Prophet Muhammad. Some people taking banners and doing protests and demonstrations on roads is against this etiquette.” Maulana Rasheed said that the action violated the teachings of the Prophet and called for an end to the provocation, “Our Hindu brothers and sisters are celebrating their festivals and we must maintain complete peace and communal harmony. We must follow His teachings by following rules and regulations of the land…”
The issue is sensitive and could be allowed to pass but for the possibility that this may be a preview of future, large-scale attempts to disturb the peace in the nation, especially in the wake of recent events to forcibly change regimes in some neighbouring countries. We shall deal with the provocations later.
The fundamental issue for Islam in India is whether the faith practiced in the subcontinent is orthodox as preached by the early medieval theologians, or includes innovations using the concept of ijtihad. Ijtihad or independent reasoning is not explicitly banned, though there is a general belief that it was closed in the ninth century when scholars felt that all the major questions regarding the faith were closed. But it continues as life is never static.
Islam in India has been considered as conservative, and broadly divided into Sunni and Shia sects. The mystic Sufi sect that emphasizes spirituality and asceticism is closer to Sunni orthodoxy and is not a departure from it.
The question therefore arises whether the fledgling ‘I❤️’ episode derives from the independent reasoning of a qualified Islamic scholar? What was the quandary faced by some believers that could not be met from the Koran and Sunnah that led to this innovation? Wahhabi Islam detests dargahs (tombs of holy men) and removed the domes, cupolas and mausoleums over the graves of important early Muslims, including Shia Imams, at the al-Baqi cemetery in Medina, Saudi Arabia, in the 18th century. The reason given was that this promotes idolatry.
On September 29, Bareilly police detained Nadeem, a close aide of Ittehad-e-Millat Council chief Tauqeer Raza Khan, during a protest in support of the ‘I❤️’ campaign. Police officials told media that Nadeem had allegedly orchestrated the protest, calling over fifty persons via WhatsApp, who in turn mobilised a crowd of around 1,600 people. The police investigation revealed that the riots were planned by youths who mobilised around hundred persons each from 390 mosques, making a total of nearly 40,000 persons, including from the districts of Pilibhit, Moradabad and Rampur.
It would be gross for non-Muslims to claim erudition about the tenets of Islam vis-à-vis believers, but some developments raise honest doubts. In one incident, some children were playing cricket in Bareilly when the ball hit a poster/banner with the words, ‘I❤️’. A crowd quickly gathered and called it blasphemy. The authorities rightly feared that the banners were intentionally placed to provoke disharmony.
In another case in Fatehpur town, some youth felt inspired and began putting up “I❤️” posters outside their homes, but when some police officers passed by, the posters promptly vanished.
The question legitimately arises: if a ball accidentally hitting a poster bearing the name of the Prophet can be called blasphemy, is taking down the posters by the same persons who put them up also blasphemy?
Will the ulema certify if the name of the Prophet on a banner is equivalent to an object of worship? Should the posters have been avoided as they inevitably need disposal, like posters of rallies, melas, etc.? How have the Bareilly and other posters been disposed of by the community?
The issue is internal to Islam and Islamic scholars will have to ponder and decide, and convey their views to the community. The repercussions of ignorant youth, misguided by an ambitious leader, taking profound liberties with the basic tenets of the faith to bait another community, could rebound terribly on all. There can be no joy or victory in such senseless aggravation.
Finally, it is easy to get carried away by agent provocateurs. Some youth have been quoted as warning against any insult to the Prophet, “If people in Nepal can change the government in 15 days, we (25 crore Muslims) can do it here in just 5-6 days.” This is something that the community elders must take note of and rebuff firmly.
The Chief Minister wisely pointed out that the symbols of faith are respected, and not displayed on crossroads. He warned against disrupting festivals and raising Ghazwa-e-Hind slogans, and said the State would use the Gangster Act against those trying to instill fear among the people.
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