A female qazi breaking stereotypes has taken the Internet by storm. A video of a woman carrying out the ‘nikkah rites’ for a couple has blown up on social media. Is it for the right reasons?
Normally, when we see people acting out of traditional gender roles, it is met with criticism. So when female qazi performed the marriage rituals in Delhi, how well did the world take it? Surprisingly really well.
Now the nikkah of Gibran Rehan Rahman and Ursila Ali is viral because of her.
In a rare move, a female qazi solemnised the 'nikaah' (Muslim wedding) of late President #ZakirHusain's great-grandson.
Gibran Rehan Rahman & Ursila Ali's nikaah took place on Friday at the residence of the country's third President, which was attended by close friends & family. pic.twitter.com/9JmANI6XDZ
— IANS (@ians_india) March 12, 2022
This female qazi, Syeda Saiyadain Hameed, performed the marriage rituals of the great-grandson of India’s former President Zakir Hussain. Syeda Saiyadain Hameed is also a former Planning Commission member.
In the video Ms. Hameed can be heard saying;
“The terms set forth in the nikahnama were prepared under the auspices of the Muslim Women’s Forum, an organization of which the groom’s great-grandmother Begum Saeeda Khurshid was a founding president. Nikahnama is the Iqrarnama (agreement) which enlists the conditions mutually agreed upon by the bride and groom, pertaining to equal rights and responsibilities along with respect and regard for all aspects of married life.”
As she wrapped up the legal stuff, everyone celebrated the union of the bride and groom as equals in marital, legal, and spiritual partnership.
While all that is heartwarming itself, it was the fact that for once we saw a female qazi at work that the video went viral. People are lauding the progressive move.
"Progressive"
— Surendra B Singh (@SurendraBSingh5) March 12, 2022
While we all are aware that legally women can become qazis, it doesn’t really fit in with gender roles in a patriarchal society. So women are strategically discouraged by limiting socio-economic opportunities.
So not surprisingly not everybody agreed that female qazis can better safeguard the interests of Muslim women. One critic is Muslim leader Syed Moinuddin Ashraf, from Sunni Jama Mosque in Mumbai. He told The Hindustan Times;
“There is no such thing as women qazis in Islam. It is just a new-age thing.”
There has been debate surrounding female qazis in India before. However, the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA) actively trains women in Koranic law, constitutional law, and gender rights to produce a steady stream of female qazis across India.
The qazi, is an important title, as they play an important role by solemnizing the marriage and finalizing divorce and settlements.
“Traditionally, qazis have all been men, and their judgment has never been questioned, even if many are unfair to women,” said Zakia Soman, a co-founder of BMMA in Mumbai.
