<B>?The market is unholy and disgusting?

Referring to the article reprinted in L?express of Monday 4th of June entitled ?God is in the market?, the Jamiat ul Ulama of Mauritius feels that we have express our non-approval to the ideology that Sauvik Chakraverti presented in his article in the ?Times of India?.We feel important that the Mauritian readers should refer to Mauritian Islamic ethics on the ideas that the author presented in ?God is the market.??

First of all, the title ?God is in the market? is religiously challenged. God is the creator of good and evil spirits, of Angels as well as Satan, though no one can claim that Satan is Godly. The fact God laid the means of survival of human beings around markets, it is incorrect and unholy to state that ?God is in the market.? In fact, the Islamic terminology classify the market as unholy and disgusting. The Prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him) said: ?The most preferred lieu before God are Mosques, and the most disgusted lieu are market places.?(Muslim) This is the general Islamic concept that classify market places as unholy and lieu of Satan. That is why the title ?God is in the market? is islamically challenged.

This does not stop us to fulfill our daily needs and earnings from the market, but stipulate the urge for us to leave the unholy lieu once the needs being fulfilled. For example once you relieved yourself in the toilet, then no one stays contemplating more in that filthy lieu.

Secondly, the author stated a non-refered saying of the prophet Muhammad( peace be upon him) saying : ??He who makes money pleases Allah.??

According to our knowledge, this saying is not conforming to the general Islamic connotations that worldly transactions are merely made for living and considered unholy, as mentioned above. As such such a saying without any reference may be assumed is a grave lie against the prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him). Unless proved, this is a great blasphemy on the prophet Muhammad(p.b.u.h.) and not a prudent approach to Islamic ideologies.

We feel important that the public take note of these facts and hope that the uttered words be corrected.

<B>Mufti MACKOOJEE</B> Jamiat-ul-Ulama of Mauritius