Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind has demanded that Muslims be given exemption from mandatory registration of marriage. Reacting to the Supreme Court directive to get all marriages, irrespective of religion, compulsorily registered, Jamiat general secretary Maulana Syed Mahmood Madani said the apex court move is direct intervention in Muslim personal law.
“As per the Constitution of India Muslims are allowed to deal with the issues related to marriage, divorce and inheritance in accordance with Islamic Shari’ah but this directive of the Supreme Court is tantamount to intervention in Muslim personal law,” said Maulana Mahmood Madani.
He further said that there is a complete code of solemnising marriage under Muslim personal law and this code is very much clear and vivid, in which not only the dignitaries of the area stand witness to the ceremony but also the parents/guardians of the bride and the bridegroom give consent to it.
The Jamiat leader added that Muslims follow this marriage code the world over as it is based on the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah.
In 2006 the Supreme Court had directed all the States to ensure mandatory registration of marriages for all communities. But in the July 23 directive the Supreme Court said that most of the States have devised laws for mandatory registration of marriages only for Hindus. It also directed the States to make submissions to the Court within six weeks why the Court directive was not implemented.