To curb rising incidents of divorce among Muslims,

Islamic courts (Sharai Adalat) have been asked to act as marriage counsellors to try prevent couples from going their separate ways.

The guideline has been issued by All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) for all Islamic courts across the country. “The AIMPLB adopted this proposal in its Kalikat confrence held on July 12,” said Khaliq Ahmad Khan, Convenor of Helal committee.

The courts, set up in many places across the country, run under the guidance of local Islamic scholars and religious preachers. Usually, these courts issue Fatwas and guide members of the Muslim community on religious and social matters.

Mufti Ubaidur Rahman, chief city Imam of Faizabad, said the new guideline will be favourable not only for the Muslim community but also for the government agencies that implement law. As Islamic courts are capable of solving social and family issues, they can reduce the burden of government agencies, he claimed.

For Islamic scholar Maulana Khalid Rasheed Firangi Mahli, the whole idea behind the move is to prevent the division of families. He expressed concern over the growing tendency among couples to split over petty differences.

“While a Sharia court was always seen as a forum for formalising a split between a couple, it will now also play the role of a facilitator to keep them united,” he added.

The AIMPLB will urge all Islamic courts to allow a divorce only when separation is inevitable and there is no scope for a patch-up between an estranged couple.