All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) is a

non-governmental organisation A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...

(NGO) in India that represents the interests of

Muslims Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

in matters of personal law. It was formed in 1973 with the objective of protecting and promoting the application of Islamic personal law among Muslims in India. The AIMPLB is primarily concerned with issues related to marriage, divorce, inheritance, and other personal matters governed by Islamic law, known as

Shariah Sharia, Sharī'ah, Shari'a, or Shariah () is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition based on scriptures of Islam, particularly the Qur'an and hadith. In Islamic terminology ''sharīʿah'' refers to immutable, intan ...

. The AIMPLB has been involved in various significant cases and debates, including those related to the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, the

Shah Bano case ''Mohd. Ahmad Khan v. Shah Bano Begum'' 985 commonly referred to as the Shah Bano case, was a controversial maintenance lawsuit in India, in which the Supreme Court delivered a judgment in favour of providing maintenance to an aggrieved divorce ...

, and the Triple Talaq issue. It has also played a role in advocating for the preservation of Muslim personal laws and resisting attempts to introduce a uniform civil code in India. The board consists of members who are scholars, legal experts, and representatives of various Islamic organisations across India. It functions as a consultative body, providing guidance and opinions on matters related to Muslim personal law. The AIMPLB does not have any legal authority or power to enforce its decisions, but it carries significant influence within the Muslim community.

Description

AIMPLB is a private body working to protect Muslim personal laws, liaise with and influence the

Government of India The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...

and guide the general public about crucial issues. The board has a working committee of 51

ulama In Islam, the ''ulama'' ( ; also spelled ''ulema''; ; singular ; feminine singular , plural ) are scholars of Islamic doctrine and law. They are considered the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious knowledge in Islam. "Ulama ...

representing various schools of thought. In addition to this, it also has a general body of 201 persons of ulama as well as laymen, including about 25 women. However, some of the

Shia Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor (caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). However, his right is understood ...

Muslims and Muslim feminists have formed their own separate boards, the All India Shia Personal Law Board and the All India Muslim Women's Personal Law Board, respectively but have failed to win any significant support from the Muslims or the government.

Executive committee

Khalid Saifullah Rahmani was elected as the fifth President of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) during an executive meeting held on 3–4 June 2023 in Mhow, Indore. He succeeded Rabey Hasani Nadwi, who had held the position for 21 years until his demise in April 2023. Following his election, Fazlur Rahim Mujaddidi was appointed as the new General Secretary of the Board, replacing Rahmani. The current Vice Presidents of the Board include Syed Sadatullah Husaini, Arshad Madani, Obaidullah Khan Azmi, and Mohammed Ali Mohsin Taqvi. Ahmad Wali Faisal Rahmani was appointed as one of the secretaries of the Board in June 2023, and he resigned from the position in November 2024. Other secretaries of the Board include Umrain Mahfooz Rahmani, Bilal Abdul Hai Hasani Nadwi, and Yaseen Ali Usmani. Mohammad Riaz Umar serves as the treasurer of the Board. Executive members of the Board include prominent figures such as K. Ali Kutty Musliyar,

Muhammad Sufyan Qasmi Muhammad Sufyan Qasmi Siddiqi (born 26 September 1954) is an Indian people, Indian Sunni Muslim scholar and current rector of Darul Uloom Waqf, Deoband. Biography Muhammad Sufyan Qasmi was born on 26 September 1954 into the Siddiqi family of Na ...

, Rahmatullah Mir Qasmi, Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, Khalid Rashid Firangi Mahali,

Asaduddin Owaisi Asaduddin Owaisi (born 13 May 1969) is an Indian politician who is serving as the third and current president of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) since 2008. He is a five time Member of Parliament (India), Member of Parliame ...

, Syed Shah Mohammed Quadri, and Yusuf Hatim Muchhala. Female executive members include Moonesa Bushra Abdi, Atiya Siddiqua, A.S. Fathima Muzaffer, and Nighat Praveen Khan.

Associated scholars

* Sayyid Minatullah Rahmani (co-founder, former General Secretary) * Mujahidul Islam Qasmi (co-founder, former President) * Wali Rahmani (former General Secretary) * Jalaluddin Umri (former Vice President) * Muhammad Salim Qasmi (former Vice President) * Fazlur Rahim Mujaddidi (General Secretary)

Criticism

The AIMPLB focuses primarily to defend the Sharia laws from any law or legislation that they consider infringes on it. In this role initially it has objected to any change in the Divorce Laws for Muslim women. In this regard it has even published a book – Nikah-O-Talaq (Marriage and Divorce). However, from time to time it has been hinted by the board that it might reconsider its position. It has also objected to gay rights and supports upholding the 1861 Indian law that bans sexual intercourse between persons of the same sex. The Board has also objected to the Right of Children for Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 as they believe it will infringe on the Madrasa System of Education. It has also supported

child marriage Child marriage is a practice involving a marriage or domestic partnership, formal or informal, that includes an individual under 18 and an adult or other child.* * * * Research has found that child marriages have many long-term negative co ...

and opposes the Child Marriage Restraint Act. It supports marriage age as 15 but says we do not promote it but people should have choice. It has also objected to the Supreme Court of India Judgement on Babri Mosque. For this, it is also willing to threaten political action. The Board was in the headlines for its opposition to the live video conference of author

Salman Rushdie Sir Ahmed Salman Rushdie ( ; born 19 June 1947) is an Indian-born British and American novelist. His work often combines magic realism with historical fiction and primarily deals with connections, disruptions, and migrations between Eastern wor ...

to the

Jaipur Literature Festival The Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF), often hailed as the "''greatest literary show on Earth''," is a renowned annual cultural and literary festival held in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. Established in 2006 by writers Namita Gokhale and William Dalry ...

in January 2012. After government considered making yoga compulsory in schools They argued that "there is a serious threat to our religion. There is a sinister design to impose 'Brahmin dharma' through

yoga Yoga (UK: , US: ; 'yoga' ; ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines that originated with its own philosophy in ancient India, aimed at controlling body and mind to attain various salvation goals, as pra ...

, Surya Namaskara and

Vedic upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''. The Vedas ( or ; ), sometimes collectively called the Veda, are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed ...

culture. They all are against Islamic beliefs. We need to awaken our community for launching a protest on a large scale."

Model Nikahnama

AIMPLB drafted a model 'nikahnama' in 2003 laying down specific guidelines and conditions on which a marriage can be annulled by both husband and wife in large sections of Sunni Muslims in Uttar Pradesh.

Legacy

Muhammad Qasim Zaman, a professor at

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...

, described this organisation as the most influential in matters related to Islamic law in India.

References

External links

All India Muslim Personal Law Board
{{Authority control Islamic organisations based in India Legal organisations based in India 1973 establishments in India Muslim politics in India Deobandi fiqh Deobandi organisations Sharia in India