By KT Reporter
The Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) has suspended Sheikh Swalleh Mubiru from preaching and conducting Islamic teaching sessions after a select committee concluded that his doctrines deviate from established Islamic scholarship. The decision was delivered on Tuesday, November 18th, 2025, at the UMSC headquarters in Kampala.
Dr. Ziyad Swalleh Lubanga, the Director of Sharia and chairperson of the committee, announced the verdict on behalf of the Mufti of Uganda, Dr. Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje, following weeks of engagements with Sheikh Mubiru. According to the committee, its first formal dialogue with Sheikh Mubiru took place on Monday, October 13th, 2025, where four major doctrinal concerns were examined. These included his claim that Islam recognises only the Torah and the Qur’an as sources of legislation.
The committee said it presented Qur’anic evidence affirming the existence of other revealed scriptures such as the Zabur, the Injil, and the scrolls of Prophet Ibrahim. The committee also queried his insistence on emphasising only the Qur’anic greeting “Salaamun Alaykum,” his opposition to the use of the vocative particle “Ya” in supplication, and his refusal to reconsider his views even when presented with counter-evidence.
Dr. Lubanga said the committee found that Sheikh Mubiru’s approach “appears closely to the Quran Yun, Quran-only movement which relies solely on the Qur’an for deriving legislations and rejects the Sunnah as a source.” He added that the cleric “was interpreting the Holy Qur’an out of context and wasn’t willing to conform to the intellectual orientation.”
The pronouncement stated that proper Qur’anic interpretation requires competency in Hadith, Aqeedah, Tafsir principles, Islamic jurisprudence, and mastery of Arabic linguistics. Dr. Lubanga said the committee found that Mubiru “demonstrated a weak command of Arabic linguistics” and showed “limited comprehension of Qur’anic terminology.”
He further noted that contrary to his claims, the committee’s investigations found no evidence that Sheikh Mubiru studied Aqeedah at King Saud University. “He has not studied Islamic law to a level that qualifies him to issue fatwas or religious rulings,” the pronouncement stated.
Following its review, the committee recommended decisive action to protect the Muslim community from doctrinal confusion. Dr. Lubanga announced: “Brother Salih Mubiru is hereby prohibited from preaching and conducting Islamic religious learning sessions in all mosques, learning centres, Muslim social gatherings and on all Muslim-based media channels and platforms that subscribe to Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama’a to protect the image of the Islamic faith and its spirituality from unnecessary confusion.”
He added that the decision would remain in force “until he withdraws these teachings and apologises,” at which point “he can be accorded a second chance.” The committee also advised that UMSC should offer him a scholarship in Sharia studies “to empower him [to] master the right Qur’anic interpretation,” and warned him of “the danger of affiliating himself with the Quran Yun,” describing the movement as deviating “from the authentic path.”
Dr. Lubanga further urged Muslims “never to consider him as their religious advisor, teacher and preacher when it comes to seeking Islamic knowledge and understanding” until he returns to mainstream Islamic theology. The pronouncement concluded with an instruction to religious leaders across the country. “Uganda Muslim Supreme Council urges all mosque imams and sheikhs, Muslim clerics to pass over this pronouncement to their followers,” Dr. Lubanga said, and warned the wider public “to keep away from his erroneous teachings.”
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