The International Union of Muslim Scholars has called for fasting as a demonstration of solidarity with the people of Gaza. The organization urged Muslims globally to fast on Thursday, September 28, 2025, which corresponds to the 5th of Rabi’ al-Awwal, 1447 AH. This call is intended as an act of worship to God and a show of support for Gaza, which is enduring siege, hunger, and thirst amid ongoing aggression.
During a recent international scientific conference in Istanbul, the union’s president, Sheikh Ali Mohiuddin Al-Qaradaghi, confirmed that participating scholars and researchers have decided to commence fasting as a form of devotion and supplication. He emphasized that this signifies the community’s solidarity with Gaza’s struggles.
Sheikh Al-Qaradaghi stated, “This call represents a faith-based and ethical position. It affirms that the Muslim community will not abandon Gaza, regardless of the duration of the aggression. The continuation of the occupation’s policies of killing, extermination, and starvation will provoke serious repercussions that extend beyond Palestine, threatening the security and stability of the entire region.”
He added, “It is a message of resistance and steadfastness, a practical demonstration that the body of the nation is one. It suffers where the people of Gaza suffer; they will not allow the occupation to break their will.”
### Reactions to the Fasting Call
Many Muslims have expressed that fasting is a religious act that should not be designated without clear evidence. They assert that supporting Gaza should not be reduced to symbolic initiatives that may lack a solid religious foundation.
These critics emphasize the necessity for tangible actions, such as financial support, political pressure, and mobilizing global public opinion to halt the aggression.
Several activists have voiced their dissatisfaction with what they consider a reliance on “symbolic slogans at a time when civilians are being killed from hunger and bombardment.” They argue that the International Union of Muslim Scholars’ call may divert attention from the actual efforts needed to assist the besieged region.
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