Introduction of Muslim Family Law
As far as SIS is concerned, when applied to laws, the terms “Islamic” and “Muslim” are not interchangeable. When we drafted our model family law, we made a conscious decision to call it Muslim Family Law – it was drafted by us, a group of Muslim women, in accordance with certain interpretations of Islam. Thus, “Islamic” laws may be derived from the Qur’an and the Sunnah, but their formulation and implementation will always involve human intervention in matters of interpretation. In this sense, the laws are not divine and can be changed.
In this section, we include our letters and statements on the various issues at stake in the substance and implementation of Malaysia’s Muslim family laws.