Maintenance of a Divorced Muslim Woman — KSLU Family Law 2 Notes

Maintenance of a Divorced Muslim Woman

This is the most politically charged topic in the subject. Classical law ends the husband’s duty at the close of iddat; Indian statute and the Supreme Court extended it far beyond.

flowchart TD
    ROOT["Maintenance of<br/>Divorced Muslim Woman"]:::root
    ROOT --> A["During Marriage<br/>(Nafqa)"]:::branch
    ROOT --> B["During Iddat<br/>(by husband — mandatory)"]:::branch
    ROOT --> C["Post-Iddat"]:::branch
    C --> C1["MWA 1986 S.3<br/>Fair provision +<br/>dower + gifts"]:::act
    C --> C2["Danial Latifi 2001:<br/>Provision must cover<br/>her entire future life"]:::case
    C --> C3["If inadequate:<br/>Section 125 CrPC<br/>still available<br/>(Iqbal Bano 2007)"]:::fallback
    C --> C4["If husband can't pay:<br/>Relatives → Wakf Board"]:::fallback

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    classDef branch fill:#E6F3FF,stroke:#1E3A8A,color:#000;
    classDef act fill:#D4EDDA,stroke:#155724,color:#000;
    classDef case fill:#FFF3CD,stroke:#856404,color:#000;
    classDef fallback fill:#F8D7DA,stroke:#721C24,color:#000;
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The Shah Bano lineage is the spine of any answer here:

1. Mohd. Ahmed Khan v. Shah Bano Begum (1985) — Section 125 CrPC applies to divorced Muslim women; a 73-year-old divorced after 43 years was held entitled to maintenance.
2. Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986 — enacted in response; Section 3 gives the divorced woman fair provision during iddat, child maintenance for 2 years, her full dower, and the return of all her property; if the husband cannot pay, the duty cascades to her relatives and then the State Wakf Board.
3. Danial Latifi v. Union of India (2001) — the words “reasonable and fair provision” in S.3 mean the husband must secure her entire post-divorce future, not just the iddat period.
4. Iqbal Bano v. State of UP (2007) — S.125 CrPC remains concurrently available if the 1986 Act’s relief is inadequate.