Lucknow: Prominent Muslim bodies on Monday welcomed the Supreme Court judgement putting on hold several key provisions of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, saying they are hopeful of getting “complete justice” in the matter, which sparked nationwide protests and debates earlier this year, once the final judgement is out.
Both the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and the All India Shia Personal Law Board (AISPLB) termed the order a welcome step, even as the former said it expected the top court to stay the entire law, and not just certain key provisions.
Speaking to PTI, Khalid Rashid Farangi Mahali, an executive member of AIMPLB, said, “Muslims and the AIMPLB wanted a stay on the entire Waqf (Amendment) Act, which the Supreme Court refused. The court said the stay cannot be imposed on the entire Waqf law, but it put on hold certain provisions, which is a welcome step. We have got significant relief and hope to get complete relief when the final judgement comes.”
He added that the apex court has also directed that efforts should be made to appoint the CEO, who is also the ex-officio secretary of the Waqf board, from the Muslim community, which is a relief.
“This has given significant relief. However, the issue of non-Muslim members (in the board) is still there. The Constitution gives freedom of religion to all Indians, and Waqf is an integral part of Islam,” Mahali said.
He added that the trusts and religious endowments of other religions and communities have a provision that only a person from the same faith and the same school of thought could become its member, but the Waqf (Amendment) Act ended this provision, and allowed a non-Muslim to become a member of the board.
“The Supreme Court has not stayed this. This is a big issue for which we have to wait,” Mahali said.
The Supreme Court on Monday put on hold several key provisions of the Waqf law, including the clause that only those practising Islam for the last five years can dedicate a property as Waqf, but refused to stay the entire law.
The bench of Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice Augustine George also pressed pause on the powers given to a collector to adjudicate the status of Waqf properties and ruled on the contentious issue of non-Muslim participation in Waqf boards, directing that the Central Waqf Council should not have more than four non-Muslim members out of 20, and State Waqf boards not have more than three of 11.
The general secretary of AISPLB, Yasoob Abbas, told PTI, “We honour the judgement given by the Supreme Court. The way in which the Joint Parliamentary Committee toured India, got the Bill passed by Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha overnight, and also got the approval of the president, we had no other option but to move the Supreme Court. We have full faith in our courts, and we are hopeful of getting justice.”
“On the presence of non-Muslims in the Central Waqf Council and state Waqf boards as members, we request the honourable court to reconsider it,” Abbas added.
Uttar Pradesh Minister of State for Minority Welfare, Muslim Waqf and Hajj, Danish Azad Ansari, told PTI, “We welcome the Supreme Court judgement. The Modi government is honestly and seriously working for the upliftment and development of the minority Muslims and the Pasmandas. In the light of the Supreme Court judgement, our government will do everything needed for the Muslims.”
He also said the Waqf (Amendment) Act will open new avenues of development for the Muslims.
When contacted, former Uttar Pradesh minister Mohsin Raza told PTI, “We welcome the Supreme Court judgement. The petitioners never wanted the (Waqf) law to be implemented. This is a defeat for them. As far as the issue of three members of the Waq board being non-Muslims is concerned, the board is a constitutional body.”
Raza added that the top has considered the laws enacted by the Modi government, be the anti-triple talaq law, Waqf law, or the abrogation of Article 370, to be correct.
“This will pave the way for the upliftment of the Muslim society, and those with whom the Waqf boards did injustice, will get justice now. Those who used to loot in the name of Waqf will now have hard times. The petitioners were siding with them,” Raza claimed.
Samajwadi Party MLA from Sambhal, Iqbal Mahmood, told reporters, “I have not read the Supreme Court judgement completely yet. From what I have heard on news channels, I can say that Muslims have always followed the orders of the top court.
“However, a few things are beyond our understanding, such as the presence of non-Muslim members in the Waqf boards. Can we make any Muslim a member of the Ram Temple Trust?”
Bareilly-based cleric Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi termed the apex court judgement “very good” and “balanced”.
“The judgement has kindled hope that illegal occupation of Waqf land will be removed, and schools, colleges, hospitals, mosques, madrasas and orphanages will be built on those lands,” Razvi told PTI Videos.
Rehan Akhtar Ansari, a faculty member in the department of theology at the Aligarh Muslim University, said the judgement has addressed most of the critical issues, which were a source of concern for the Muslim community.
