SRINAGAR: The Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU), Jammu and Kashmir’s largest conglomerate of religious organisations led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, has expressed dissatisfaction over the Supreme Court’s interim order on the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, stating that while certain provisions have been stayed, wider constitutional and religious concerns remain unresolved.
The MMU maintained that waqf was not merely a matter of property but of religious trust and service to Allah, stressing that any attempt to dilute Muslim control over these endowments undermines constitutional guarantees that allow religious communities to manage their own affairs.
While welcoming the Court’s partial relief as a positive indication, the body said it did not go far enough. It warned that key provisions of the Act still posed grave threats, including the abolition of the long-standing principle of “waqf by user”, which could jeopardise centuries-old mosques, shrines, graveyards and community institutions that have functioned as waqf through continuous use, even without written deeds.
The MMU also criticised the mandatory requirement of waqf deeds, arguing that historical realities meant many such documents were lost or never existed. It said this provision risked stripping numerous properties of their sacred status. Further concerns were raised over the transfer of survey powers from independent commissioners to district collectors, which the group said compromised neutrality and gave the state excessive control.
Describing the amendment as a deliberate attempt to weaken and seize waqf assets, the MMU warned that it could legitimise encroachers while harming genuine community institutions. The organisation called the measures discriminatory, pointing out that no other religious community was subjected to such state interference in its internal management.
The MMU urged the Supreme Court to take up the matter for a final hearing at the earliest, restore the original protections of the Waqf Act, and ensure that the constitutional and religious rights of Muslims are safeguarded. It further appealed to the government to desist from undermining the sanctity of waqf and instead work to preserve and develop endowments for future generations.
The MMU comprises a wide range of religious, social and educational institutions across Jammu and Kashmir, including Anjuman Auqaf Jamia Masjid, Anjuman Sharie Shian, Jamiate Ahle Hadith, Karwan-e-Islami, Darul Uloom Rahimiyah, Anjuman Himayat-ul-Islam, Jamiat Hamdania and several others.
