Religious scholar Dr. Mohamed Iyaz has claimed that his Tafseer (Interpretation) classes in the Islamic Ministry were stopped after Islamic Minister Dr. Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed got angry over a dispute about funeral prayers for Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

Iyaz has been conducting a series of interpretation classes at the Islamic Center for more than five years. Since 2018, the class has been held every Sunday night.

Shaheem faced criticism when news spread that the class was stopped and ordered to be held at a mosque other than the Islamic Center and King Salman Mosque.

In a message on the Islamic Ministry media group, Shaheem said the classes were not ordered to be stopped.

"Dr. Iyaz himself has stopped the classes for more than a month. We have not stopped a class which has been ongoing since the previous government. He asked to resume classes today [Saturday]. We have said that the classes can be held in mosques other than the two centers," Shaheem wrote.

However, Dr. Iyaz denied Shaheem's allegation.

Iyaz said the Tafseer class was halted because his child was sick and he had to travel abroad. He added that it is not new for a Sheikh to halt the classes to go abroad for an emergency.

"If it's a crime to interrupt [classes], it's not new. But it's the first time that action has been taken after I decided to resume," he said.

Iyaz returned to the Maldives and informed the Islamic Ministry on August 1 to resume the Tafseer class. He said it was the usual process when resuming classes.

A day before he requested the Islamic Ministry to resume classes, Iyaz and Shaheem had a dispute on X about funeral prayers for Haniyeh. That is why Iyaz believes that the class was not allowed to resume at the Islamic Center.

The letter sent by the Adlat Party to Shaheem to request funeral prayers for Haniyeh was signed by Iyaz. However, the ministry did not order Imams to do the funeral prayers in absentia after Friday prayers in mosques. It was left to the discretion of the Imams (the person who leads the prayer).

Shaheem said the decision was left to the Imams as funeral prayers in absentia are not compulsory in Islam.