The All India Muslim Personal Law Board issues an 11-point directive, asking the community to organize simple marriages after a woman commits suicide due to dowry.
A leading Muslim organization in India has issued new guidelines, asking the community to avoid dowry and extravagant marriages after a woman recently died by suicide due to “dowry harassment.”
In an 11-point guideline released last week, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) called on Muslims to take an oath not to require a dowry and to keep the wedding ceremony simple without “extravagant rituals, customs and activities. unnecessary ”.
AIMPLB is widely regarded as the representative of Indian Muslims, who constitute over 14 percent of India’s 1.3 billion population.
The agency’s guidelines, contained in a document for Muslims to sign and follow, were issued by AIMPLB President Maulana Rabe Hasan Nadvi.
The move comes after a Muslim woman in the western Indian state of Gujarat died by suicide last month by drowning in a river, alleging physical abuse of the dowry by her husband and his in-laws.
Her suicide sparked a nationwide debate about the social ills associated with marriage among Muslims and other communities.
A 10-day campaign across India on simple marriage according to the sunnah was launched by the Social Reform Committee of All India Muslim Personal Law Board from March 27 to April 6, 2021. (1/3)
– All India Muslim Law Council (@AIMPLB_Official) March 25, 2021
AIMPLB said it has launched a 10-day campaign to educate community members across the country and raise awareness of these ailments.
During the campaign, academics and Muslim leaders will emphasize the celebration of weddings according to Islamic customs and minimize expenses during weddings.
The new guidelines ban wedding processions, fireworks, dances and lavish parties, calling them un-Islamic. It only allows “Dawat-e-Walima”, a feast served by the groom’s family after the wedding rituals have been completed.
The Muslim body said invitations to such festivals should also be extended to poor and needy members of the community.
Maulana Umrain Mahfooz Rahmani, secretary of the AIMPLB, said it was not fair to say that steps to end social evils like dowry are being taken suddenly.
“The Muslim Personal Law Council has been working for years to bring about good changes in society and motivate Muslims to end bad practices and customs. As far as marriage is concerned, work has been carried out there for years so that the perverse practices associated with it can be curbed, ”he told Anadolu agency.
Rahmani said Muslim weddings in India are rarely performed in mosques. But now a good change is underway and a large number of weddings are celebrated in mosques and many non-Islamic rituals have come to an end, he added.
Despite the changes, he said, “the painful aspect” is that many poor women still remain single because their families are unable to spend a lot of money.
“There are many others who suffer even after marriage as the dowry demand continues and the girl’s husband and family continue to pressure her to bring more dowry,” he said. he declared.
“Many girls commit suicide because they are unable to endure the physical and mental harassment. To put an end to all these things, a new directive has been developed and it is being developed across the country.
Rahmani said members of the AIMPLB are across the country. “Among them are well-known Muslims from a cross section of Indian Muslim society such as religious leaders, lawyers, politicians, academics and other professionals. They were asked to work on this in their respective fields, ”he said.
“In the last three Fridays, discussions and arguments have taken place in mosques after Friday prayers and the wrongs of the dowry system and mega wedding ceremonies have been explained to people. People who visit mosques for offering namaz [prayers] it is said to avoid dowry and extravagance. “
Zafaryab Jilani, a prominent member of AIMPLB, highlighted the Islamic idea that marriage is a contract.
“Our effort is to make nikah [marriage] easy and simple for the people, ”he said.
“We want them to avoid spending unnecessary money on weddings so that they can set a good example for society.”
