Omar Abdullah’s marriage to Nidhi Razdan sparks row, cleric calls it unlawful under Sharia
Days after Omar Abdullah announced his marriage to Nidhi Razdan, cleric Mufti Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi called it unlawful under Sharia. Here is what he said and what the law says
PTC Web Desk: Just two days after Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah announced his marriage to journalist Nidhi Razdan, a religious row has broken out. Maulana Mufti Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi, president of the All India Muslim Jamaat, has said the marriage is not valid under Islamic law.
What the cleric said
According to Razvi, Sharia allows a marriage only when both the man and the woman are Muslim. He pointed out that Abdullah is a Muslim while Razdan is not, and on that basis he called the union “najaayaz”, which means impermissible or unlawful.
“If either one of them is not Muslim, the marriage cannot be considered lawful,” he said.
'She should have converted first'
The cleric also said the Chief Minister should have made sure Razdan accepted Islam before the nikah. In his view, if she had converted and the couple had married according to Islamic customs, the marriage could have been seen as permissible under Sharia. Since that did not happen, he said, the marriage cannot be accepted from a religious point of view.
There has been no response so far from Omar Abdullah or Nidhi Razdan to the cleric’s statement.
Omar and Nidhi wedding
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has tied the knot with journalist Nidhi Razdan. The news comes at a time when his party, the National Conference (NC), is dealing with unrest over a recent Cabinet reshuffle.
The wedding took place in New Delhi on Friday. Only family members, relatives and close friends of the couple were present. Omar shared the news on X along with photos of the newlyweds. “A new journey began yesterday,” he wrote. Nidhi posted her own message on X, saying, “It’s done bro.”
Sources say the marriage was held under the Special Marriage Act and family members from both sides signed as witnesses.
Second marriage for both
This is the second marriage for both Omar and Nidhi. Omar, 56, has two sons, Zahir and Zamir, from his first marriage to Payal Abdullah. The couple married in 1994, when Omar was working at The Oberoi hotel in New Delhi. They later grew apart and started living separately. In July this year, the Supreme Court granted them a divorce after the two reached a settlement. Nidhi Razdan is 49.
How the two came to be seen together
Nidhi was present at Omar’s swearing-in as the first Chief Minister of the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory in Srinagar on October 16, 2024. She was also seen with him at several official events, which led to talk about their relationship. Over time, she became close to his family, including his father and sister.