New Delhi: Leading Muslim bodies have described the Supreme Court’s interim relief on the Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025 as a significant step in safeguarding constitutional values, while stressing that their campaign against the controversial law will continue.
The court has stayed three contentious provisions of the amended law until petitions challenging its constitutionality are decided. These include Section 3C, which gave government officers unilateral authority to decide eligibility for creating a waqf, and the five-year requirement for professing Islam before establishing one. The court also limited the number of non-Muslim members on the Central Waqf Council to four out of twenty-two.
Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind president Arshad Madani welcomed the decision, calling it a “victory of the spirit of the Constitution”. He said the relief had strengthened belief in judicial fairness. “The amended law is a direct attack on equality and freedom of religion. Our struggle will continue until this black law is repealed,” he added.
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) expressed cautious satisfaction. Spokesman Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas said that while the court accepted several key arguments of the petitioners, the overall amendment remains problematic. “The interim order has protected property rights. Waqf properties cannot be dispossessed or altered in records until the final decision. But the refusal to suspend the entire Act leaves many harmful provisions in force,” he noted.
Ilyas pointed out that the prospective de-recognition of “waqf by user” and the compulsory requirement of a written waqf deed remain threats to the institution. He said the board would persist with its “Save Waqf” campaign and demand the complete repeal of the 2025 amendment.
The All India Majlis-e-Mushawarat, an umbrella platform of Muslim organisations, also welcomed the relief. Working president Navaid Hamid said the judgment was a political reminder to parties allied with the BJP. “Supporting unconstitutional moves leads to embarrassment. This verdict has made that clear,” he said.
Hamid praised the court’s clarification that disputes over waqf status will remain under the tribunal, not collectors, and that the CEO of Waqf Boards will continue to be a Muslim.
Muslim leaders stressed that while the judgment has provided temporary relief, the long-term battle for protecting waqf institutions and their autonomy is far from over.
 Act 2025, calling it a victory for constitutional values, while vowing to continue their campaign for the repeal of the law.){kind=link}