When I was a Muslim, I was taught from childhood that Islam is the religion of justice. “Inna Allaha ya’muru bil-‘adli wal-ihsan” — Allah commands justice and excellence (Quran 16:90). But what happened in Gariyadhar, Gujarat, once again reminded me that for many Muslims this verse remains limited only to recitation — it has no connection with practice.

 

What happened in Gariyadhar?

An unusual incident took place in Rupavati village of Bhavnagar district. A Muslim family — Maqbool, Mubarak, Razak and Altaf — buried one of their deceased relatives on disputed land near the village’s Hindu cremation ground. This was despite the fact that the village already had an official Muslim graveyard — spread over about 700 square metres, enclosed by a boundary wall, and with half of it completely empty.

The Muslim family argued in the Gujarat High Court that “the graveyard is full of flowers.” An investigation revealed that this claim was completely false. The court dismissed their petition. For 10 days the family did not remove the body. Finally, on 27 July 2026, the administration itself had to take action.

 

This is not just an incident, it is a pattern

Investigations also revealed that this was not the first time. In 2021-22 the same family had done exactly the same thing — they had buried a deceased person on this very disputed land. At that time, in the presence of the police, a panchayat was held and a written guarantee was given that this would never happen again. And then in 2026, the same act was repeated.

This is not accidental. It is a planned strategy of land occupation— first bury a dead body, then claim the place as a graveyard and stake a legal claim. This is a different face of Land Jihad, known as ghasb (illegal occupation). Today, every open mazar (shrine) in the country is part of this same Land Jihad. That is why the government is bringing the Waqf Board under control, because the same thing was happening in the name of Waqf as well.

 

What does the Quran say about this?

I will speak in the light of what I studied in the madrasa:

1. Usurping others’ property is haram

“And do not consume one another’s wealth unjustly or send it [in bribery] to the rulers in order that [they might aid] you [to] consume a portion of the wealth of the people in sin, while you know [it is unlawful].” — Quran 2:188 (Surah Al-Baqarah)

The plain meaning of this verse is that illegally occupying anyone’s land, property or rights is **haram**. And there is no doubt that trying to occupy land next to a Hindu cremation ground by burying a dead body is a clear violation of this very verse.

2. Betrayal of trust

“Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due…” — Quran 4:58 (Surah An-Nisa)

In 2021 this family had given a written guarantee in front of the entire village that they would never again bury near the cremation ground. Then in 2026 they did the same thing. In the eyes of the Quran this is betrayal of trust. A Muslim’s promise is the testimony of his tongue — and breaking it is a sign of a munafiq (hypocrite).

3. Lying

In court it was claimed that “the graveyard is full” — while the 700-square-metre graveyard was half empty. A hadith states:

“The signs of a hypocrite are three: when he speaks, he lies; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; and when he is entrusted, he betrays.” — Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 33

On the scale of this hadith, Maqbool-Mubarak and their family fulfilled all three signs.

4. The rights of the neighbour

Islam places great emphasis on the rights of the neighbour. There is a hadith that Jibreel (peace be upon him) kept emphasising the rights of the neighbour so much that the Prophet ﷺ thought the neighbour might even be made an heir (Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 6014). When there is a Hindu neighbours’ cremation ground, deliberately making a grave near it and hurting their religious sentiments — what kind of Islam is this?

 

Why am I writing all this?

I left Islam, but that does not mean I do not know the Quran and Hadith. In fact, it was only after understanding Islam deeply that I left it. And I am writing this so that Muslims themselves look at themselves in the mirror of their own book.

If you are a Muslim and reading this, then ask yourself:

– Has the maulvi of your area ever spoken about land grabbing in the Friday sermon?
– Has anyone told Maqbool-Mubarak that according to Quran 2:188 what they are doing is haram?
– Has your mosque condemned this incident?

If the answer to all three is “no” — and I am completely certain it will be — then understand that the problem is not of a few people, but of the silence of the entire community.

 

Final point

The Gujarat High Court gave the correct judgment. But the sorrow is that an ordinary Indian court had to explain that “when an official graveyard exists, a grave cannot be made arbitrarily on public land.” This is a matter of common sense — why was the High Court needed to state it?

The Quran says: “O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice…” (Quran 4:135). Regrettably, for many people justice exists only as long as it is in their own favour.

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These are my personal views and have been written with reference to Islamic sources.
Sources: OpIndia Hindi, Times of India, LiveLaw — reports of 28 July 2026.