The spiritual head of the Ajmer Dargah on Monday urged the Muslims to give up beef-eating and said triple talaq is against Sharia.

Dargah Diwan Syed Zainul Abedin Alihas Khan asked the Centre to impose a uniform ban on consumption sale of all bovine species across the nation. He also appealed the government to announce cow a national animal as the Hindu community considered the animal sacred and for them, cow is a symbol of devotion.

The head of the shrine said, “On the occasion of the 805th Urs (death anniversary) of Khwaja Moinuddin Hasan Chisty, who all through his life strived for the peaceful coexistence of Hindus and Muslims, we (Muslims) should give up eating beef to honour the religious sentiments of our Hindu brethren.”

In a statement, he averred on this day he and his family took a vow not to have beef for the rest of their lives.

The Ajmer Dargah is considered one of the holiest Muslim shrines in India.

According to the Hindustan Times, the spiritual leader said he is supporting the Gujarat government’s recent order to give life sentence who found guilty of slaughtering cows.

While speaking at the occasion, he said about the issue of growing conflict between Hindu and Muslim. “The issue concerning bovines has harmed the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb” and he suggested the Muslims should take an initiative to end the main cause of the issue by giving up the consumption of beef.

The announcement came at a time when many states commenced stricter punishment for cow slaughter. Last week, the Gujarat assembly passed an amendment bill which enhancing the punishment for cow slaughter from seven to life imprisonment.

He also criticised the practice of triple talaq, saying the Quran and Sharia do not allow the practice. “As it is inhuman, anti-Islamic and against the gender equality, it should be shunned without any further delay.”

The spiritual leader said, “Why some people in the community are reluctant to give up the practice which Quran and Prophet Mohammed never approved, is beyond the comprehension of a reasonable section of Muslim. Time has come to eschew the practice that victimises our sisters and daughters.”

The Centre is advocating a ban on this evil practice, though many Muslim organisations are against the move of the apex court.