Muslim Cleric Calls Omar Abdullah-Nidhi Razdan Marriage ‘Najaayaz’ Under Sharia

 

 

 

News Desk: A controversy has erupted over the reported marriage of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and senior journalist Nidhi Razdan after a prominent Muslim cleric issued a fatwa questioning the religious validity of their union under Islamic law.

Maulana Mufti Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi, president of the All India Muslim Jamaat, reportedly declared the marriage ‘najaayaz’ (impermissible), arguing that it did not fulfil the conditions prescribed under Sharia.

According to the cleric, Omar Abdullah is a Muslim, while Nidhi Razdan has not embraced Islam. He maintained that under his interpretation of Islamic principles, a Muslim man marrying a woman who has not converted to Islam in these circumstances would not constitute a permissible Nikah.

The cleric argued that the marriage could have been considered valid under Islamic religious customs if Razdan had converted to Islam and the couple had solemnised their union through the prescribed Nikah ceremony.

A new journey began yesterday 💍@Nidhi https://t.co/BXbdLq2d1H

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) October 31, 2026

The couple reportedly solemnised their marriage on October 30, 2026, in New Delhi under the Special Marriage Act, 1954, and made the announcement publicly the following day through social media posts.

Omar Abdullah shared a photograph with Razdan on X, announcing the beginning of a new journey. Razdan also shared photographs from the occasion, confirming their marriage.

The Special Marriage Act provides a legal framework for interfaith marriages in India without requiring either partner to change their religion. Therefore, a religious objection or fatwa does not automatically affect the legal validity of a marriage solemnised under the Act.

A fatwa is a religious opinion issued by an Islamic scholar on matters concerning religious teachings. It is not a court order and does not have the force of law in India.

The latest controversy has once again brought the debate over interfaith marriages, religious interpretations and individual freedom into the spotlight. While religious scholars may express their views on marriage according to their respective interpretations, the legal validity of a marriage is governed by the country’s applicable laws.

There has been no publicly reported response from Omar Abdullah or Nidhi Razdan to the cleric’s latest remarks.