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Lucknow: A model nikahnama, aimed at curbing rising
incidences of divorce among Muslims by means of triple utterance
of the word "talaq", has abruptly been removed from the website of
the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB).
The nikahnama, that was formulated after much deliberation by the
board, was posted six years ago.
It was put up on its website for easy access to all and sundry.
However, it could never become very popular with the community as
not many people were ready to deviate from the formats used by
their respective sects, sub-sects and orders.
"For whatever reason, very few people were actually using the
model nikahnama," remarked board spokesman Qasim Rasool Illyas.
"Significantly, it included duties and obligations of both husband
and wife, besides prescribing that disputes between the two be
settled only through ‘darul-qaza' (Islamic courts) that were set
up in all cities and towns," he said.
However, none of the key AIMPLB functionaries were able to assign
any reason for its sudden removal from the website.
"I am sure it has not been removed deliberately; it must have been
by accident during the course of upgrading the website," said
board legal adviser Zafaryab Jilani.
Jilani told IANS here: "Well, I do not deny that the model
nikahnama did not become very popular, but we only are to blame
for that. In fact, it was suggested several times at AIMPLB
meetings to entrust the task of wide circulation of the model
nikahnama to a commercial agency, but that never happened. And it
was not possible for the board to do that job."
Some insiders were of the view that the Barelvi school of Islam
was opposed to the model nikahnama and they ran a sustained silent
campaign to discourage its use. "And that was essentially because
the Barelvi school had always been a protagonist of the triple
talaq system," claimed a senior member of the board on condition
of anonymity.
The model nikahnama also did not find favour with a section of
Muslim women who rebelled against the traditional male
chauvinistic practices by forming their own All India Muslim Women
Personal Law Board. Its founder president Shaista Ambar had then
made it loud and clear that the model nikahnama "had failed to
provide the desired protection to women as per the provisions of
the shariat".
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