Saturday, December 25 2004 19:10 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Lucknow: The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) today (Dec 25, 2004) urged Muslims to avoid the practice of triple Talaq while its executive committee approved the draft model Nikahnama which contains guidelines for married couples.

"Muslim couples should hesitate in giving Talaq, particularly the triple Talaq, which is considered to be a sin," the AIMPLB assistant general secretary Abdul Rehman Quereshi told reporters after Board's Executive Committee meeting in Lucknow at which the draft of the model Nikahnama was approved. AIMPLB is the apex body of Muslims in the country.

If there is any dispute in the married life of a couple, they should not take a unilateral decision, he said.

"The model Nikahanama emphasises that the marriage is not merely a ritual, but a contract," he said adding, "However it is not binding."

The Nikahnama furnishes guidelines for prospective Muslim couples, details about their relationship, obligation and duties besides advising how to settle matrimonial disputes.

Qureshi said the Nikahnama asks the Muslim couples to carry out their obligations in accordance with the Shariat and 'try to satisfy each other'.

In case of a dispute the efforts should be made to settle it by the elders of the concerned families but if it persists, it should then be referred to the Islamic court for redressal. The matter should be referred to Shariat panchayat or the local ulema whose decision should be accepted by the concerned parties, he said.

The draft would now be placed before the general body of the Board for approval at a later date.