General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments (GAIAE) in the United Arab Emirates has issued a fatwa to warn Muslims against travelling to Mars under the project Mars One.

GAIAE has compared the trip to a situation of committing suicide and it is something that is forbidden in Islam. Mars One has asked the UAE's Islamic authorities to withdraw the fatwa. In their statement, Mars One said, "Only when a habitable outpost is established will human lives be risked in Mars One's plan".

It has also said that every possible precaution will be taken to reduce the risk to life. The statement released by Mars One also has a verse from the Quran. The verse encourages Muslims to explore the signs of God's creation in the 'heavens and the earth'.

The statement also said that first Martian settlers will walk in the footsteps of Ibn Battuta, great Muslim explorer, whose travel made him visit North Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

Islamic culture has come up with rules as how Muslims astronauts can perform their daily prayers when they are at the International Space Station. In fact, the UAE has also earlier supported the space travel.

Since 2008, GAIAE has issues around two million fatwas. Mars One, a non-profit organization came up with a plan of setting up a human settlement on Mars in April 2013. It announced the plans that they want to have a human settlement on the Red Planet by 2025.