Muslim leaders have welcomed the Supreme Court direction asking all states and union territories to bring in a suitable legislation to make registration of marriage compulsory.

"Islam asks its followers to register the marriages and there is nothing new in the apex court directive," All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) spokesman Qasim Rasool Ilyas said.

The apex court's order came in the wake of reports that several states had made registration of marriage compulsory only for the members of the Hindu community.

But by today's order, registration of marriage will be mandatory for all religions. Ilyas, however, said the word "compulsory" should not be the part of the legislation.

"In Islam, all the marriages are registered. This (the direction) would be only their re-registration," he said, adding, "it should not be made compulsory but optional."

All India Shia Personal Law Board president Mirza Mohammad Athar said: "The legislation is not anti-Islam or anti-Sharia (Islamic law). This would strengthen the Islamic practice of registering marriages."

"Those who go abroad register their marriage as they need a registration certificate. So what's harm in extending it to all," Athar asks.