After the 'model nikahnama' released on May 1 by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, a leading Muslim group has come up with a set of new proposals that will benefit women.
Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, one of the oldest and largest Muslim groups in India, released a 'marriage document' on Sunday at its biennial 28th general session in New Delhi.
Though similar to the 'model nikahnama' released by the AIMLPB in Bhopal, Jamiat's document incorporates some significant changes.
While 'model nikahnama' deplores divorces, especially triple talaqs, and asks couples to go to a mutually agreed arbitrator to solve their problems, the Jamiat's marriage document provides for appointing arbitrators at the time of nikah itself.
The Jamiat's document, called the ikrarnama, will be signed by the marrying couple, and both husband and wife will appoint two arbitrators -- one from each side -- to settle any marital dispute.
If there is any problem between the couple and a divorce-like situation appears, the two arbitrators will intervene and try to sort things out.
The document will also bear the signatures of two witnesses to the marriage.
The Jamiat document says the couple will accept the arbitrators' decision and not go to any court to settle a dispute.
Divorce will be granted only in extreme cases, the document says.
The document has been prepared to stop the widely practiced triple talaq, though it does not mention the term.
The Jamiat had prepared this document in 1986, but could not circulate it among Muslims for close to 20 years for the fear of courting controversy.
Jamiat's spokesman Abdul Hameed Nomani said, "We will ask our clerics and seminaries to popularise it [the ikrarnama] across the country. It will become effective over a period of time. The idea is to educate people that giving a divorce in anger is not good. Islam does not preach this."
This document, however, will not be legally binding.
The Jamiat is an extension of the influential Dar-ul-Uloom Deoband school of thought in Uttar Pradesh.