Maulana Tariq Jameel’s son addresses backlash on Dr Nabiha Ali’s nikkah

LAHORE: Maulana Tariq Jameel’s son, Yousuf Jameel, has reacted to the criticism being faced by his father on social media for following the Nikah of Dr Nabiha Ali.

In a video message, Yousuf Jameel explained that Maulana Tariq Jameel recently officiated the Nikah of Dr. Nabiha Ali, which led to widespread criticism.

He said his father did not know the bride personally; a friend had requested him to conduct the Nikah, and Maulana Tariq Jameel did not refuse, as he has conducted thousands of Nikahs in his life.

Yousuf said the life and religious services of Maulana Tariq Jameel were well-known for decades. He mentioned that a public figure serving religion must regard moral liabilities.

Criticism is all right if there is any mistake, but in this case, there are a few clarifications, Yousuf added.

He mentioned that Maulana Tariq Jameel does very few Nikahs now, owing to age and health reasons, but has not stopped doing so.

It is hard to change long-standing routines, and people are happy to have their Nikah taken by him, often without really thinking about the details as to who is attending it.

Yousuf acknowledged that there was a mistake in sitting Maulana Tariq Jameel with the bride, which is not permissible in Shariah, but his father was 72 years old, not 30, and did Nikah for women the age of his daughters, whom he considers his own children.

He further explained that Dr. Nabiha Ali crossed the line by being disrespectful toward whoever was giving the Nikah and the sanctity of their home.

He also disapproved of making videos, including music, during the function, stating that though celebration is permissible, it should have kept in consideration the status of the host.

He emphasized that it was primarily the bride’s responsibility because Maulana Tariq Jameel could not foresee what the bride would do or how the occurrence would be staged on social media. In the end, Yousuf said, ‘One incident cannot be allowed to undo a lifetime of service’ and that Dr. Nabiha Ali had turned a solemn Nikah into a social media event by misusing Maulana Tariq Jameel’s image.