Hyderabad: Muslims avoid use of triple talaq

Hyderabad: Agitated over the introduction of a Bill criminalizing the practice of triple talaq,  Muslims are now exploring ways to rescue the community from prosecution if the Bill become a law.

Qazis have stopped endorsing triple talaq. They are now endorsing only single or conditional talaq. Religious scholars are also telling people to refer their family disputes to religious institutions, instead of approaching legal authorities.

Moulana Mufti Umar Abideen Qasmi Madani, general secretary, All India Milli Council, Telangana chapter, said that their stand on the issue will continue to be the same. “But even if Parliament passes the Bill, the Muslims will not be affected drastically because in the ratio of the separation of couples is negligible among them.”

“In our society, talaq is undesirable. If a dispute arises between the couple, the elders of the society try to reconcile the differences,” he said.

He said religious organisations and theologians have already started a campaign to convince people to refer their disputes to the Darul Qazath or the local mosque to resolve the matter instead of approaching law enforcement agencies. “If one of the litigant partners approaches the police station complaining of harassment, police is also conducting counseling before referring the matter to the courts.”

He expressed hope that this initiative would red-uce the number of family disputes. “This will not only reduce expenditure, but it will save time as cases will not remain pending for years.”

Mr Mushtaq Malik, president of the Tehreek Muslim Shabban, said talaq is not a core issue of the community, although it may attract the attention of anti-Muslim forces.

He said that Muslims will never accept the interference in their personal law.

He said that his organization has established a Sharia Faisla Board where they would provide arbitration and conciliation services to reunite litigant couples. “In one and a half years, we handled 70 cases and 98 per cent cases were resolved amicably. Now these couples are living happily with each other.”

Moulana Mohammed Abdur Raheem Khurram Jamai of Ahle Hadees said triple talaq has no canonical sanctity in their school of thought.

Qazi Mohammed Abdul Mahmood Nizami said most Qazis are not simply declaring talaq. “When husbands approach us for divorcing their wives, we try to reunite them. If the dispute is not solved, then we advise them to pronounce revocable talaq by pronouncing a single divorce or talaq bayin. In these cases there is a chance of reunion.