Muslim community gets Sharia Faisla Board

A new body, Sharia Faisla Board (SFB), is set up in Hyderabad to address issues concerning nikah, talaq, Khula, maintenance and other domestic disputes in the Muslim community. The 61-member Board has 13 Muftis associated with leading religious institutions. It also comprises of lawyers, journalists and ulemas representing different schools of thoughts.

The decision to constitute SFB was taken at a meeting held here recently following passing of a unanimous resolution.For a change the Jamaat-e-Islami, Jamiatul Ulema-e-Hind, Sunni Ulema Board, Jamaat-e-Ahle Hadees, Tahreek Muslim Shabban are also represented in the Board. The latter will go by the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 to resolve disputes, said Mushtaq Malik, convenor, SFB.

He told press persons here on Wednesday that the main idea of floating SFB was to lessen the burden on courts which were grappling with thousands of cases. He deplored that talaq was being projected as the major issue by some vested interests when bigger problems like unemployment; education and security were facing



the country.

It was also wrongly stated that triple talaq was the only method of dissolving a marriage when the purpose could be achieved with a single talaq also. “Shariat is a divine law and nobody can interfere in it much less effect change”, Malik said.

He said the SFB would have regional and zonal panels. Each zone would cover an area comprising 10 masjids and problems arising therein would be looked after by a Mufti. Osman Shaheed, senior advocate, urged Muslims to approach the SFB for their problems and abide by the decision taken by it.

Mufti Sadique Mohiuddin Faheem said, if the Shariat law of talaq was being misused by some persons that problem should be addressed rather than trying to change the law itself. The rate of divorce was negligible among Muslims compared to other communities. But disputes pertaining to nikah and talaq were getting too much media attention leading to lot of confusion within the community and other countrymen. The SFB, as an arbitrator, would try to change the scenario, he said.