‘Omar Abdullah-Nidhi Razdan’s marriage is unlawful under Sharia,’ says All India Muslim Jamaat chief

Two days after Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah shared the news of his marriage to journalist Nidhi Razdan, a controversy has erupted, as the All India Muslim Jamaat president Maulana Mufti Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi has declared the wedding “unlawful” under Islamic principles.

Maulana Razvi said the marriage could not be considered valid under Islamic principles because both bride and the groom must be Muslim for a marriage to be recognised as lawful under Sharia.

While Omar Abdullah is Muslim, he claimed Soni Razdan was not and thence argued that the marriage was impermissible from an Islamic perspective.

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The cleric said Abdullah should have ensured that Razdan embraced Islam before their ‘nikah’.

He maintained that had Razdan converted to Islam and the two married according to Islamic customs and traditions, the marriage could have been considered permissible under Sharia.

Explaining the situation, Razvi said Islam lays down specific rules and conditions governing marriage, with both the man and the woman required to be Muslim.

“If either one of them is not Muslim, the marriage cannot be considered lawful,” he said, reiterating his objection to the marriage.

Since this condition was not fulfilled, the cleric described their union as ‘najaayaz’ (unlawful) under Islamic principles.

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Maulana Razvi’s remarks reflect his interpretation of Islamic principles and do not, by themselves, determine the marriage’s legal validity.

In India, the legal recognition of a marriage depends on the applicable marriage laws and the circumstances under which it was solemnised.

Besides, inter-religion marriages in India are legally permitted and protected under the Special Marriage Act, 1954, which allows couples to marry without converting to each other’s religion.