Muslim Man Approaches Supreme Court, Seeks To Be Governed By Indian Succession Act Instead Of Shariat Law

The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to examine a petition on whether Muslims can be governed by the Indian Succession Act instead of the Shariat law on inheritance without renouncing their faith, PTI reported.

The 1925 Indian Succession Act, which governs the transfer of property after a person’s death, is generally applicable to all citizens regardless of their religion except Muslims. Islamic law, or Shariat, outlines a system for the distribution of the property of a deceased Muslim, allocating fixed shares to relatives.

In a petition, a Muslim man Naushad KK from Kerala’s Thrissur district said that he wanted to be governed by the succession law instead of Shariat without giving up Islam as his religion.