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SC Seeks Centre’s Response on Muslim Woman’s Plea for Indian Succession Act Over Sharia Law The Case at a Glance The Supreme Court of India has directed the Central Government to respond to a petition filed by a Kerala-based Muslim woman, Safiya PM , who seeks to be governed by the Indian Succession Act, 1925 , instead of Muslim Personal Law (Sharia Law) regarding inheritance. A bench led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna , along with Justices Sanjay Kumar and KV Viswanathan , has given the government four weeks to file its response, with the hearing scheduled for May 2025 . Why Is the Woman Challenging Sharia Law? The petitioner, a non-believer Muslim , argues that since she does not practice Islam, she should be governed by secular inheritance laws rather than religious laws. ✔️ Sharia Law Restriction – Under Sharia law , a Muslim individual can only bequeath one-third of their property via a will. The remaining two-thirds is distributed according to Islamic inheritance rul...

Supreme Court to Examine Plea on Applicability of Sharia Law to Non-Believer Muslims The Supreme Court of India has agreed to examine a plea that raises questions about the applicability of Sharia law to non-believer Muslims. The plea seeks a declaration that individuals who do not wish to be governed by Muslim Personal Law should have the option to be governed by the secular laws of the country. Petition Filed by Safiya PM The petition was filed by Safiya PM, a Kerala-based woman who identifies as a non-believer Muslim. She argues that she should be governed by the Indian Succession Act of 1925 concerning inheritance, rather than Sharia law. According to her, under Sharia law, individuals who leave Islam are excluded from their community and lose inheritance rights in their parental property. Challenge to Sharia Law Restrictions Safiya PM's plea highlights that Sharia law restricts a Muslim person from bequeathing more than 1/3rd of their properties by way of a will. This limitati...