Mobile marriage in marooned Mumbai

Here's the tale of a wedlock that could have turned soggy, but was saved — literally — by the wire.

RAIPUR: It's all about love. And that too gushing in the time of floods. Well, here's the tale of a wedlock that could have turned soggy, but was saved �� literally �� by the wire.
Baqar Abbas of Bryon Bazar in Raipur and Mahera Zafar of Andheri in Mumbai were married "over the cellular phone" on Thursday night. The nikaah was performed at Raipur's Baijnathpara Imambara in the presence of a maulvi and at Andheri, with a maulana overseeing the proceedings.
Due to the rains in Mumbai, the girl could not reach Raipur as the Indian Airlines flight had been cancelled for four days, as were all trains to Chhattisgarh from Mumbai.
Mahera (20), a college student in Mumbai, told TOI over the telephone that she was looking forward to the restoration of air and train services to meet her shauhar. "Insha Allah, jaldi aaongi (God willing, shall reach Raipur soon). Having a nikaah over the cellphone is a new experience for the family," she said.

Groom Baqar Abbas said the family had fixed July 28 night as the auspicious time for nikaah, which could not be deferred by the maulvis. But Mahera was unable to leave home as her neighbour - hood was waterlogged. So, a meeting of maulvis and maulanas was arranged in Mumbai and Raipur, according to Baqar who runs a mehndi (henna) business. The maulanas decided to perform the marriage over the phone.
At 10.15 on Thursday night, Baijnathpara mosque head imam Maulana Jahrul Hasan talked to his counterpart Imam Maulana Ashgar Mehdi of Hyderi mosque in Andheri and the agreement ("nikah kabool hai") was obtained over the phone. However, Baqar added: "I regret my wife is not with me on suhag raat." Maher felt the same way.

Chhattisgarh State Minorities Commission chairman Haji Injayat Ali said: "We have decided to become more modern and make use of technology. The nikahnama was sent to Mumbai over fax and the bride's signature obtained and re-faxed here after being attested by the Mumbai maulana."
Ali was himself married over the telephone in September 1982, as his wife lived in Karachi. He expressed the hope that the Muslim community would shun its orthodox ways and become more modern. Marriages over the cellphone and fax are a step in that direction, he added.

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