New Delhi, Feb 6: The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) is all set to make it necessary for all Muslim men to pledge against the controversial Islamic practice of triple talaq and commit in the nikahnama (Islamic marriage contract) that they will not practice the instant divorce to end their marriages.
The board will hold its 26th plenary meeting of general and executive members on February 9 and 10 in Hyderabad’s Owaisi hospital. At the meeting, the board is expected to release a “model nikahnama” which will require the bridegroom to undertake that he will not divorce his wife through triple talaq.
“The board is going to hold a plenary in Hyderabad. There will be a Jalsa meeting on February 11 in Darussalam where ministers of Parliament will also be present. We will discuss the Babri Masjid issue and the triple talaq bill which were passed in Parliament,” AIMPLB executive member, Rahimuddin Ansari, told ANI.
The board’s general secretary Maulana Wali Rahmani said that once they take an undertaking, its breach will not be valid under the Shariah or Muslim personal law. This means that if a man divorces his wife through triple talaq despite having the nikahnama undertaking, his wife could challenge it in a court citing the contract as a proof.
although AIMPLB initially maintained that the issue is outside the realm of the judiciary, it agreed that protection could be given to the women at the time of the nikahnama execution. “Before the Lok Sabha passed the bill (on December 28 last year), we had told the Supreme Court we would insert this provision in the nikahnama,” Rahmani said.
He added that the law was already in place but an undertaking would discourage men from practicing it. This will eventually help stop the practice, he said.
“This will be a wonderful step towards fulfilling a long-standing demand of women and many educated, enlightened men in the community. It is the need of the hour,” president of All India Muslim Majlise Mushawarat, Naved Hamid, was quoted as saying by Times of India.
Total 51 members would attend the meeting including board president Asaduddin Owaisi, General Secretary Moulana Saleem Khasmi and others. Ansari also said that the three-day-long general body meeting will also discuss the issue and evolve a strategy for the protection of Muslim Personal Law.