Triple talaq against Quran, say scholars

Muslim scholars and experts have slammed the All India Muslim Personal Law Board’s claim that Muslim men would resort to drastic measures to get rid of their wives if triple talaq is not allowed. Citing instances from the Quran and life of the Holy Prophet (sunnah), Dr Zeenat Shaukat Ali and Zafar Sareshwala said the excuse given by AIMPLB in its affidavit filed in the Supreme Court to uphold triple talaq not only shows Muslims in bad light but also leads to bidat (innovation in religion) which is not desirable.

“Triple talaq was a right granted to men in pre-Islamic Arabia and women were treated as a disposable commodity. However, after the advent of Islam, the Holy Prophet put an end to it and recommended a process that included stages of reconciliation before resorting to divorce, which is also mentioned in the Quran. But, by saying that Muslim men fed up of their wives need triple talaq to refrain from taking drastic measures like burning or killing their wives to get rid of them, shows the AIMPLB thinks Muslim men are barbarians and triple talaq is a means to rein in their aggression. This is preposterous and against the constitution of the Quran and sunnah,” said Dr Zeenat Shaukatali, director general, The World Institute of Islamic Studies for Dialogue, Peace and Gender Justice.

Zafar Sareshwala, chancellor of Maulana Azad Urdu University, said that while the Quran had explicitly mentioned the procedure for talaq, the AIMPLB had entirely bypassed it by promoting arbitrary divorce. “There is no mention of triple talaq, which means that one practising it is committing a grave sin. After the demise of the Holy Prophet, persons who practiced triple talaq were punished with 100 lashes. The AIMPLB seems to be citing the Sharia selectively thus going against the principles of Quran,” said Mr Sareshwala.

Former Maharashtra inspector general of police S.M. Mushrif said, “The stand taken by the AIMPLB is contrary to the tenets of Islam. It shows all Muslim men in bad light and is, hence, regressive and undesirable,” he said.