Chhattisgarh Waqf Board plans new norms for inter-religion nikah, qazi registration

RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh Waqf Board is drafting a set of norms that would require all qazis solemnising nikahs in the state to register with the board and seek its clearance before conducting Islamic marriage ceremonies involving a Muslim and a non-Muslim.The proposal, expected to be discussed with clerics later this month before being rolled out, seeks to standardise nikah documentation, create a central record of marriages solemnised by qazis, including those relating to religious conversion, wherever required, and prescribe a verification process for cases involving interfaith marriages, board officials said.Waqf Board chairman Salim Raj told TOI that under Islamic law, a qazi can solemnise a nikah only after religious and legal requirements are fulfilled.

"If an interfaith couple chooses to marry under civil law, that is governed by the law of the land. Our proposal only relates to nikahs performed by registered qazis," he said.Under the proposed framework, every qazi or maulana conducting nikahs would first be required to register with the Waqf Board. In cases where one party is not Muslim, the qazi would refer the matter to the board instead of conducting the ceremony on his own.

A seven-member committee comprising Muslim scholars and religious experts is proposed to examine such cases after drawing out clear norms. Officials said the committee would verify documents, ascertain whether religious requirements have been fulfilled, and determine whether the nikah can be solemnised in accordance with Islamic principles before conveying its decision to the concerned qazi.The board official said the proposal follows complaints received from districts including Surguja, Kanker, Khairagarh and Dongargarh relating to disputed marriages, identity issues and subsequent property or marital disputes.

They said the proposed mechanism is intended to introduce uniformity and record-keeping rather than replace the legal process governing civil marriages.Another key change under consideration is a standardised bilingual nikahnama. At present, nikah documents are often prepared only in Urdu, creating difficulties in obtaining marriage certificates and completing official documentation. Under the proposed system, the nikahnama would be issued in Hindi and English in a uniform format, with a copy maintained in the Waqf Board's records.Raj said maintaining a central digital repository of nikahs would help verify marital records and reduce disputes arising from multiple formats and incomplete documentation.The draft norms are expected to be discussed at a meeting of qazis and clerics convened by the Waqf Board on July 11. After incorporating suggestions, the board plans to finalise the framework before its proposed implementation from August.