The City Circle is pleased to host the launch of the Muslim Marriage Contract prepared by the Muslim Institute. The speakers will be Dr Ghayasuddin Siddiqui, Director of the Muslim Institute, Mufti Barkatulla, Islamic Shari’ah Council, Cassandra Balchin, Muslim Women Network UK, Maulana Shahid Raza, Imams and Mosques Council UK and Shaykh Usama Hasan, City Circle.
The new Contract - launched on the day - provides women entering a Muslim marriage written proof of their marriage and of the terms and conditions agreed between the spouses. In the absence of such proof, women have faced particular difficulties in securing the financial rights guaranteed to them under the Shari’ah upon divorce.
The Contract has been drafted after lengthy consultations over a number of years with religious leaders, community organisations and women’s groups across the country, and reflects a consensus effort to protect the rights of both parties to a Muslim Nikah (non-registry marriage) and that are guaranteed under the Shari’ah.
The new Contract is designed to guarantee greater harmony within Muslim marriages in Britain. It lays out the rights and responsibilities of the husband and wife in a Muslim marriage, and emphasises the Qur’anic vision of marriage as a relationship of mutual love, mercy and kindness (mawaddah, rahmah and sukun).
The Contract recognises the role Muslim women play in modern societies. Hence it does not require a ‘marriage guardian’ (wali) for the bride, and also makes delegation of the right of divorce to the wife (talaq-i-tafweed) automatic. This right does not affect the husband’s right of divorce (talaq) but enables the wife to initiate divorce and retain all her financial rights agreed in the marriage contract. The Contract also requires “two adult witnesses of good character”, rather than the traditional insistence on two Muslim men. In today’s multi-cultural Britain, women and non-Muslims must be recognised as just as capable of providing a reputable guarantee that the marriage took place and of the terms and conditions the couple agreed upon.
The Contract has been prepared by the Muslim Institute and endorsed by The Muslim Law (Shari’ah) Council UK, the Imams and Mosques Council UK, Muslim Council of Britain, Muslim Parliament, Utrujj Foundation, Muslim Women’s Network UK, Fatima Women’s Network, Muslim Community Helpline (formerly Muslim Women’s Helpline) and The City Circle.
Side by side with efforts to popularise the new Contract within the Muslim community, the Muslim Institute is encouraging more mosques to become places registered for civil ceremony under the 1948 Marriage Act so that marriages they conduct are recognised under English law and Muslim couples can access the British courts regarding marital issues.
Join us for the launch and discussion.
For more information, please contact Usama on 07980 834 340.