No affidavit, no nikah: New rule introduced by UP's Baghpat ulema

Nikahs in Baraut town of Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat district will no longer be solemnised without a legal affidavit, after local religious organisations decided to make the document mandatory before any marriage ceremony. The move comes after several cases in which facts about the bride or groom were allegedly concealed, leaving imams facing police investigations and court proceedings.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Khidmat Society and Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind at Jama Masjid and was made public on Sunday.

'NO AFFIDAVIT, NO NIKAH'

Under the new arrangement, families of both the bride and groom must submit an affidavit prepared by a lawyer on stamp paper before a nikah can take place.

The affidavit will declare that both parties are adults and that all details relating to their age, marital status and legal position are accurate. It will also certify that no material fact concerning the marriage has been concealed.

Religious leaders attending the meeting unanimously agreed that no imam or maulana would solemnise a nikah unless the affidavit is submitted.

WHY THE DECISION WAS TAKEN

The organisations said the decision follows a rise in cases where marriages were conducted despite one of the parties allegedly concealing facts such as an existing marriage, being a minor or having a pending court case.

According to the religious leaders, such cases have resulted in imams being questioned by police and dragged into legal proceedings despite having no prior knowledge of the concealed information.

Maulana Arif-ul-Haq, district president of the Deeni Taleemi Board of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, said, "If any information is later found to be false, the responsibility will rest with the concerned parties."

'MOVE TO PROTECT IMAMS'

Khidmat Society president Dr Irfan Malik said the decision was intended to protect religious leaders from unnecessary legal complications rather than create additional hurdles for families.

"Our campaign is for the protection of imams. They often perform nikahs without knowing the full facts and later face police action. A legal declaration will now be prepared in accordance with the law and Sharia," he said.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind city president Mufti Shah Alam said the proposal was aimed at making the nikah process more transparent and legally compliant.

He said, "Imams face legal notices, not the parents. To protect them, both parties will have to submit an 11-point declaration before the nikah. If no affidavit is submitted, the nikah will not be solemnised."

The organisations have appealed to families to provide complete and accurate information before the marriage ceremony to avoid future disputes and legal complications.

- Ends

With inputs from Manudev.