Muslim cleric claims Personal Law Board’s decision on challenging SC order on alimony should not be hurried

Aligarh (Uttar Pradesh) [India], July 15 (ANI): After the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) said that they will challenge the Supreme Court’s latest verdict, allowing divorced women to claim maintenance after the period of “Iddat”, there have been divergent views from the Muslim community. Cleric Chaudhary Ifraheem Husain said that the decision to review the SC Order should not be taken in a hurry.

“The way the All India Muslim Personal Law Board wants to review the decision of the Supreme Court I think it should not be hurried. This is because this is linked to Sharia, women and humanity. On one hand, the Muslim Personal Law Board says that Shariat is not applicable in India and on the other hand they say that according to Shariat those who have got talaq should not get alimony. These are contradictory,” Husain said speaking to ANI.

Sadaf Fatima claimed that the AIMPLB wants all laws to be for men and they intend to subjugate women.

“This (Supreme Court judgement) is correct. And I do not want the Muslim Personal Law Board to oppose it. This is because according to Shariah law, it is equal to men and women. But the Muslim Personal Law Board wants all laws to be for men and women should be subjugated. I think the Supreme Court’s decision is right,” Fatima said while speaking to ANI.

AIMPLB member Kamal Faruqui maintained that “Marriage is a pious bond in every religion”

“In Islam, there are specifications about how the couple should behave in a marriage. Husbands have the responsibility to take care of their wives in every way…They have a religious responsibility to take care of her in all aspects till the time she is your wife,” Faruqui said speaking about the duties of a married couple as per Islamic law.

Speaking about divorce, Faruqui said that once the talaq is in place the contract comes to an end.

“Now when for one reason or the other, the husband-wife cannot stay together, whether the wife takes khula herself or the husband gives them talaq. Now both of them are free from their contractual obligation. The kind of facilities, ownership, and responsibilities, both partners are bound by their contract. If anyone is not following these, there should be criminal charges against him and he would be punished according to religious law as well,” he said.

Speaking about the duties of the husband to take care of his wife, Faruqui said, “From the Islamic law, as long as you are bound by the pious relationship of nikah it is the duty of the husband to look after everything about the wife, even though she has her own source of income.”

The AIMPLB asserted that the Supreme Court’s judgement doesn’t augur well “with human reasoning that the man is held responsible for maintaining his ex-wives when the marriage itself is non-existent”.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Sunday adopted a resolution stating that the recent Supreme Court judgment on the maintenance of Muslim divorcee women was “against the Islamic law (Shariah)”.

The board also authorised its president to initiate all possible measures to ensure that this decision is “rolled back”.