Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s marriage to journalist Nidhi Razdan has drawn criticism from a religious leader, with All India Muslim Jamaat president Maulana Mufti Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi questioning its validity under Islamic principles.

Two days after the couple announced their marriage, Razvi claimed that the union did not meet the conditions prescribed under Sharia because, according to him, both partners must be Muslim for a marriage to be permissible under Islamic law.

The cleric said Abdullah is Muslim, while Razdan is not, and argued that the marriage should have taken place only after she had embraced Islam.

According to Razvi, if Razdan had converted and the couple had solemnised their marriage in accordance with Islamic customs, the union could have been considered permissible.

Cleric explains objection to the marriage

Razvi maintained that Islamic marriage rules require both individuals to fulfil specific religious conditions. He said a marriage involving a Muslim man and a non-Muslim woman could not be recognised as lawful under the interpretation he was applying.

“If either one of them is not Muslim, the marriage cannot be considered lawful,” he said.

On that basis, the cleric described Abdullah and Razdan's union as najaayaz, or impermissible, and argued that the Chief Minister should have ensured Razdan converted to Islam before their nikah.

Religious objection does not determine legal status

The remarks have brought religious interpretations into the discussion surrounding the couple's marriage. However, Razvi's statement represents his religious position and should not be confused with a judicial determination.

In India, the legal recognition of a marriage depends on the applicable statutory framework and the circumstances in which it was solemnised. A religious declaration or fatwa, by itself, does not determine the marriage's legal validity.

The controversy follows Abdullah and Razdan's announcement of their marriage on social media, which marked a new development in the personal lives of the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and the journalist.