Muslim pre-marriage course needs revision, says lawyer

A shariah lawyer says he and his colleagues have to handle many marriage cases every day.

PETALING JAYA: A lawyer has called for a revision of the mandatory pre-marriage course for Muslims, saying it needs to keep up with the times.

Nizam Bashir, a shariah lawyer, proposed that religious authorities make the revision in consultation with lawyers who have experience in handling marriage issues.

He told FMT that he and many other shariah lawyers were finding themselves having to handle large numbers of marriage cases every day, making it apparent that the course in its current form is deficient.

He claimed that many graduates of the course were not satisfied with it. “I have received many complaints from attendees regarding the course content as well as the attitude and professionalism of the instructors.”

Nizam urged religious authorities to ensure appropriate behaviour among instructors so as not to cause discomfort among attendees.

He suggested the course be conducted online, the two-day duration reduced and that couples be required to sit for a pre-course test to determine the level of their knowledge.

“Couples then only need to attend specific modules according to their knowledge. Only those who do not get satisfactory scores should be made to attend the whole course.”

Couples showing adequate knowledge in the content of the curriculum should be excused from attending, he added.

In Kedah, couples wishing to get married while the conditional movement control order is in force are not required to take the course. They only have to go through a brief interview before getting married. - FMT