In rare occurrence, female qazi solemnises nikah of former Indian president’s great-grandson

Ceremony was performed by Dr Syeda Saiyadain Hameed in interest of ‘equality’

Stepping out of the norm, the great grandson of former Indian president Dr Zakir Hussain had his nikah solemnised by a female qazi, a role traditionally assigned to men. Gibran Rehan Rahman recently tied the knot with Ursila Ali, the daughter of senior Indian journalist Qurban Ali. The ceremony was performed by Dr Syeda Saiyadain Hameed, a former member of the country’s Planning Commission, reported The Hindu.

Speaking about the nikah, Dr Hameed shared, “The terms set forth in the nikahnama were prepared under the auspices of Muslim Women’s Forum - an organisation of which the groom’s great-grandmother, Begum Saeeda Khurshid, was a founding president.”

The father of the bride revealed that the idea of having the marriage solemnised by a female qazi was initially the bride’s, with the groom being open and willing towards the same as well. He shared, “There was no concept of a female qazi in the Indian Islamic society so we want to make a new beginning and when we talk about equality then why not a female qazi.”

A video of Dr Hameed performing the marriage ceremony quickly went viral on social media, with the clip being shared by various Indian publications as well.

 

 

 

 

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Speaking about the significance of the nikahnama, Dr Hameed shared that the iqrarnama (agreement) “enlists the conditions mutually agreed upon by the bride and groom, pertaining to the equal rights and responsibilities along with respect and regard for all aspects of married life”.