‘Islam Has a Law’: How India’s Grand Mufti Played a Key Role in Saving Nimisha Priya from Execution
In a dramatic turn of events that gripped India and echoed across international headlines, India’s Grand Mufti, Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad, stepped in to delay the execution of Nimisha Priya, an Indian nurse convicted of murder in Yemen. The high-stakes intervention came just days before Priya was scheduled to be hanged, offering a lifeline that has sparked hope, debate, and renewed discussion about justice, mercy, and international diplomacy.
Nimisha Priya, a Kerala-born nurse, was arrested in July 2017 for the alleged murder of her Yemeni business partner. According to reports, she was in an abusive partnership and injected the man with sedatives in a desperate attempt to retrieve her passport, which he had withheld. However, the sedative dose turned fatal, leading to her conviction and a death sentence under Yemeni law.
For years, her family, along with humanitarian groups and legal teams, pleaded for diplomatic intervention. Yet, it was the timely involvement of India’s Grand Mufti, one of the highest Islamic authorities in the country, that shifted the narrative.
“Islam has a law, and within it lies the path of forgiveness,” said the Grand Mufti, speaking to media after his formal outreach to Yemeni religious leaders and the victim’s family.
His statement was not just religious rhetoric—it was a strategic message, rooted in Islamic jurisprudence. Yemeni law, derived in part from Sharia, allows the victim’s family to accept “blood money” (known as diya) in place of capital punishment. The Grand Mufti’s appeal, therefore, was both moral and legal, urging the family to consider clemency through this path.
What followed was a carefully coordinated effort: a crowdfunding campaign was launched in India to raise the diya, thousands of people contributed, and fresh dialogues opened between Indian and Yemeni authorities.
The Grand Mufti’s intervention was seen as a crucial cultural bridge—one that respected Islamic values while striving to save a life. His nuanced understanding of both religious law and human rights turned the tide in a case many had lost hope in.
The deferment of Nimisha Priya’s execution isn’t the end—it’s a window. A pause in time. Her fate now rests on whether the Yemeni victim’s family will accept the blood money and grant pardon. But for now, she’s alive, and that means everything to a mother in Kerala who just wants her daughter home.
This case is more than legal files and courtroom decisions. It’s a human story of desperation, justice, cultural diplomacy, and the complex intersection of international law and religious doctrine. It also highlights the crucial role spiritual leaders can play in real-world conflict resolution when governments alone cannot move the needle.
As India watches closely, one thing is certain—Nimisha Priya’s story is far from over. And the words of the Grand Mufti continue to echo:
“Islam teaches compassion. Justice must prevail, but mercy is not weakness—it’s divine.”
