Darul Uloom Deoband, the influential Islamic seminary has opposed the triple talaq bill passed by the Lok Sabha on Thursday. Reacting strongly to the Bill that seeks to criminalise triple talaq, the mohtamin (vice-chancellor) of Darul Uloom Deoband, Maulana Mufti Abul Qasim Nomani, said the bill not only targets Muslim men but is also against the welfare of the muslim women.
“It is not a matter of single or triple talaq. If the bill is passed then in the eyes of the law, the divorce stands void. But the society will see them as divorced. Under the law, the man will be sent to jail. If that happens, who will take care of the woman and children — the court or the government? While the man will suffer in jail, the fate of the woman and their children will hang in the balance,” Nomani argued.
“In Islam, we have provision for meher (paid to wife by husband at the time of marriage) and maintenance but the bill is silent on these aspects.” Located in Saharanpur district of Western Uttar Pradesh, the 150-yearold Darul Uloom is considered one of the most influential seminaries for Sunni Muslims in India.
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board, which also includes prominent clerics from Darul Uloom Deoband, in its emergency meeting here on December 24, had asked the government to not table a bill in parliament criminalising instant triple talaq. The board had urged the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to withhold and withdraw the Muslim Women (Protection of Marriage) Bill, 2017, as it is not only “against Shariah but also goes against the verdict of the Supreme Court”.
The organisation claimed that the triple talaq bill will ruin Muslim families and that it is against women welfare. The opposition to the bill stems from the fact that while making and drafting this bill, no Muslim organisation or scholar was consulted, AIMPLB said.