Heaven Isn’t Muslim-Only, Prominent Egyptian Sheikh Argues

AHED IZHIMAN/AFP/Getty Images
AHED IZHIMAN/AFP/Getty Images

JAFFA, Israel – Heaven is not Muslim-only, said prominent Egyptian Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah Nasser, defying a near-consensus among Islamic theologians.

In a televised interview, Nassr said that “the exclusive nature of heaven that some Muslims promote is an abomination, even according to the Quran. God gave heaven to all faithful human beings regardless of their religion.”

“Some people think that Prophet Mohammed’s religion is markedly different from the other monotheistic religions,” he added. “The truth is that the prophets all believed in submission to Allah.”

Nassr didn’t stop there. He went on to say that the niqab, the veil some Muslim women cover their faces with, is a crime against the Quran.

Warning that Egypt has come under a “Wahabbi occupation,” he added that “singing and dancing aren’t transgressive.  If you don’t want to watch it, don’t. But to say that it is prohibited by the Quran requires proof.”

“Women who wear dance gear are preferable to those wearing a black tent,” he said, referring to niqab.

He concluded by saying that he believes he will not be indicted for insulting Islam, and that saying a kind word to a woman is not a sin.

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