With the Supreme Court on Tuesday striking off the provision of triple talaq for divorce, the Mohtamim (Vice Chancellor) of Darul Uloom Deoband, Mufti Abdul Kasim Nomani, has said that the seminary is with the Muslim Personal Law Board.

Speaking to The Statesman on phone from Deoband, Mohtamim Nomani said that the verdict was there, but he wasn’t aware of the details of the five-judge bench decision. “We are with the Muslims Personal Law Board on this issue. A decision on the future course of action will be taken in the meeting of the board,” he said.

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On the contrary, his deputy and Nayab Mohtamim of Uloom, Maulana Abdul Khaliq Sambhali, said that no one had a right to change the commandments of Shariyat.

A five-member bench of the Supreme Court on Tuesday gave its decision to set aside the triple talaq for a period of six months, instructing the Union government to come out with a law in this regard during this period.

While most of the clerics are trying to avoid giving any statement on the issue, the decision has brought smiles on the faces of the Muslim women. District president of Milli Council here Kari Shafiq said he would be in a position to comment only after studying the SC verdict.

Rehana Adib, a social worker, however, called it a good decision. Rehana is a founder member of NGO Astitva, which is working for the women’s cause in riot-hit areas of Muzaffarnagar.”

Only a fraction of Muslim women had been fighting to get rid of the age-old practice. Majority are silent, mostly ignorant of the fact that the practice can be challenged in the court of law.

On the contrary, social worker Noor Bano was of the opinion that the decision would hardly bring respite to the Muslim women. “I think there is a need to work on gender equality and providing equal opportunities to the women,” she said, adding that the decision will hardly bring any change in the life of a common Muslim woman.

Mufti Zulfikar, State President of the All India Imam Association, said the decision of the SC was being studied and association’s stand will be made clear after consulting Islamic and legal experts.