The Muslim Family Law Index (MFL-I)

measures the extent to which Muslim Family Laws (MFLs) comply with specific human/women’s rights and the rule of law and standards. The MFL-I assigns country/year scores ranging from 0 to 100. The higher the score, the more reformed the national MFL system; hence greater adherence to human/women’s rights and the rule of law.

MFL Database Download

Information on this page is provided free of charge for academic use only.  If you are aware of relevant legislation that should be on this website, please let us know by sending an email to info@muslimfamilylawindex.com.

Afghanistan

  1. Civil Code (1977)
  2. Shiite Personal Status Law (2009)

Algeria

  1. Code de la Famille (1984) (French)

Bahrain

  1. Amendment to the Judicature Act of 1971 (No. 4) (1999)
  2. Family Law (No.19) (2017)

Bangladesh

  1. Special Marriage Act (1872)
  2. Muslim Personal Law Shariat Application Act (1937)
  3. Muslim Family Laws Ordinance (1961)
  4. The Family Courts Ordinance (1985)

Brunei

  1. Religious Councils and Kadis Court Act (Cap.77) (1955)
  2. Islamic Family Law (Cap.217) (2000)

Cameroon

  1. Le Code Civil (1804) (English Translation)
  2. Customary Courts Ordinance Cap. 142 of the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (1948)
  3. Southern Cameroons High Court Law (1955)
  4. Judicial Organization Law (No. 89/019) (1989)
  5. Law on Judicial Organization (No. 2006/015) (2006)

Comoros

  1. Civil Status Law (No. 84-10) (1984)
  2. Code de la Famille (2005)

Djibouti

  1. Law on the Organization and Competences of Al Ma’adoun al Chari (No. 169) (2002)
  2. Code de la Famille (No. 152) (2002)
  3. Law Relating to the Organization of Personal Status Courts (No.8) (2003)

Egypt

  1. Code of Mohammedan Personal Law (Qadri Pasha)
  2. Law No. 25 (1920)
  3. Law No. 25 (1929)
  4. Law No. 462 (1955)
  5. Law No. 44 (1979)
  6. Law No.100 (1985)
  7. Law No. 143 (1994) (Civil Status Law)
  8. Law No.1 (2000)
  9. Law No. 10 (2004)
  10. Law No. 126 (2008) (Law Amending the Civil Status Law of 1994)

Eritrea

  1. Proclamation No. 2 (1991)
  2. Proclamation No. 3 (1991)
  3. Civil Code (2015)

Ethiopia

  1. Proclamation to Establish Kadis’ Courts, No. 12 (1942)
  2. Khadis and Naiba Councils Proclamation, No. 62 (1944)
  3. Civil Code (1960)
  4. Federal Courts of Sharia Consolidation (1999)
  5. Revised Family Code (2000)

The Gambia

  1. Mohammedan Law Recognition Ordinance (1905)
  2. Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (No.42.01) (1941)
  3. The Constitution of the Republic of the Gambia (1997)

Ghana

  1. Marriage of Mohammedans Ordinance (1907)
  2. Intestate Succession Law (1985)
  3. Muslim Marriage and Divorce Bill (2017)

Greece

  1. Law 147 (1914)
  2. Law No. 2345 (1920)
  3. Law No. 1920 (1991)
  4. Law No. 4511 (2018)
  5. Law No. 4559 (2018)
  6. Presidential Decree No. 52 (2019)
  7. Law No. 4964 (2022)
  8. Western Thrace Muslim Family Law Collection by Mufti Mustafa Hussein (1972) (Unofficial, consulted by muftis)

India

  1. The Kazis Act (No. 12) (1880)
  2. The Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act (1937)
  3. The Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act (1939)
  4. The Special Marriage Act (1954)
  5. Section 125 in The Code of Criminal Procedure (1973)
  6. The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act (1986)
  7. The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act (2019)

Indonesia

  1. Marriage Law No. 1 (1974)
  2. Religious Judicature Act No. 7 (1989)
  3. The Compilation of Islamic Laws No. 1 (1991)

Iran

  1. Civil Code (1935 and amendments after 1982)
  2. The Family Protection Act (1975)
  3. The Family Protection Act (2013)

Iraq

  1. Personal Status Law No. 188 (1959)
  2. Iraqi Kurdistan Personal Status Law No. 15 (2008)

Israel 

  1. Ottoman Law of Family Rights (1917) (Arabic)
  2. Palestine Order in Council (1922)
  3. Marriage Age Law (1950)
  4. Women’s Equal Rights Law (1951)
  5. Penal Law Amendment (Bigamy) Law (1959)
  6. Qadis Law (1961)
  7. Capacity and Guardianship Law (1962)
  8. Succession Law (1965)
  9. Family Court Law (1995)
  10. Family Court Law (Amendment No. 5) (2001)

Jordan

  1. Family Rights Law (No.92) (1951)
  2. Personal Status Law (No.36) (2010)
  3. Personal Status Law (No. 15) (2019)

Kenya

  1. Marriage Act (Cap150) (1902)
  2. The Mohammedan Marriage and Divorce Registration Act (1906)
  3. Mohammedan Marriage Divorce and Succession Act (No. 34) (1920)
  4. Kadhis’ Courts Act (No. 14) (1967)
  5. The Marriage Act (No.4) (2014)

Kuwait

  1. Personal Status Law (1984)
  2. Family Court Law (No.12) (2015)

Lebanon

  1. Ottoman Law of Family Rights (1917) (English)
  2. Law on Organisation of the Shari’a Courts (1962)
  3. Sunni Family Law (No. 46) (2011)

Libya

  1. Law on Marriage, Divorce and their Consequences (No.10) (1984)

Malaysia

  1. Inheritance Act (1971)
  2. Law Reform (Mariage & Divorce) Act (1976)
  3. Islamic Family Law Act (1984)

Maldives

  1. Family Act (No.4) (2000)
  2. Judicature Act (No. 22) (2010)
  3. The Family Law First Amendment Act (No.11) (2013)
  4. The Family Law Second Amendment Act (No.9) (2016)
  5. Gender Equality Act (No.18) (2016)
  6. Child Rights Protection Act (No.19) (2019)

Mali

  1. Code du marriage et de la tutelle (No. 62) (1962)
  2. Portant Code des Personnes et de La Famille (No. 087) (2011)

Mauritania

  1. Personal Status Code (No. 052) (2001)

Mauritius

  1. Code Civil Act (No.105) (1805)
  2. The Civil Status (Indian Marriages) Amendment Ordinance (No. 28) (1912)
  3. Constitution (1968)
  4. Civil Status Act (1982)
  5. Divorce and Judicial Separation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (No. 2) (2011)

Morocco

  1. The Moroccan Family Code (Moudawana) (2004)
  2. The Moroccan Family Code (Moudawana) (2016)

Myanmar (Burma)

  1. The Kazis Act (1880)
  2. The Burma Laws Act (1898)
  3. The Muslim Dissolution of Marriage Act (No. 14) (1953)

Niger

  1. Loi Organique Fixant L’organisation et la Compétence des Juridiction (No. 2004-50) (2004)
  2. The Civil Code (2005)

Nigeria

  1. Sharia Court of Appeal Law (1960)
  2. Marriage Act of 1990
  3. Matrimonial Causes Act (2004)

Oman

  1. The Personal Status Law (No. 32/97) (1997)
  2. The Judicial Authority Law (No. 90/99) (1999)

Pakistan

  1. The Special Marriage Act (1872)
  2. The Child Marriage Restraint Act (1929)
  3. The Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act (1939)
  4. The Muslim Family Laws Ordinance (1961)
  5. The West Pakistan Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Act (1962)
  6. The Family Courts Act (1964)

Palestinian Territories

  1. Personal Status Law (No. 61) (1976) (West Bank)
  2. Egyptian Law of Family Rights (No. 303) (1954) (Gaza Strip)

Philippines

  1. Presidential Decree (No. 1083) (1977)
  2. An Organic Act for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (No.6734) (1989)
  3. Rules and Regulations Governing Registration of Acts and Events Concerning Civil Status of Muslim Filipinos (2005)
  4. An Act Providing for the Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (No. 11054) (2018)

Qatar

  1. Judicial Authority Law (No. 10) (2003)
  2. Family Law (No. 22) (2006)

Saudi Arabia

  1. Law of Judiciary (2007)
  2. Personal Status Law (2022)

Senegal

  1. Code de la Famille (1972)

Sierra Leone

  1. Mohammedan Marriage Act (Cap. 96) (1905)
  2. Civil Marriage Act (Cap. 97) (1910)
  3. Local Courts Act (1963)
  4. The Devolution of Estates Act (2007)
  5. The Registration of Customary Marriage and Divorce Act (2007)

Singapore

  1. Womens Charter (1961)
  2. The Administration of Muslim Law Act (1966)

Somalia

  1. Natives Betrothal and Marriage Ordinance (1928)
  2. Qadis Courts Ordinance (1937)
  3. Subordinate Courts Ordinance (1944)
  4. The Organisation of the Judiciary Law (1974)
  5. Family Law (No. 23) (1975)

Sri Lanka

  1. The Mohammedan Code (1806)
  2. Marriage Ordinance (Cap.131) (1907)
  3. Muslim Marriage and Divorce Ordinance (1929) (As amended in 1934)
  4. Muslim Intestate Succession Act (Cap.72) (1931)
  5. Muslim Marriage and Divorce Ordinance (Cap.134) (1951)

Sudan

  1. The Mohammedan Law Courts Ordinance (1902)
  2. Mohammedan Law Courts Procedure Act (1915)
  3. Shari’a Courts Act (1967)
  4. The Judicial Authority Act (1972)
  5. Civil Transaction Act (1984)
  6. The Judicial Authority Law (1986)
  7. Personal Status Act (1991) (English)

Suriname

  1. Civil Code (1859)
  2. Asian Marriage Law (Aziatische Huwelijkswetgeving) (1940)
  3. Marriage Law Revision Act 1973 (Wet Herziening Huwelijksrecht) (No. 140) (2003)

Syria

  1. Civil Code (1949)
  2. Personal Status Law (No. 59) (1953)
  3. Judicial Authority Law (No. 98) (1961)
  4. Custody Age Law (No. 18) (2003)
  5. The Law to Amend PSL of 1953 (No. 4) (2019)
  6. Civil Status Law (No. 13) (2021)

Tanzania

  1. Judicature and Application of Laws Act (Cap. 358) (1920)
  2. The Succession (Non-Christian Asiatics) Act (Cap. 28) (1923)
  3. Native Courts Ordinance (Cap. 73) (1929)
  4. Local Courts Ordinance (Cap. 299) (1951)
  5. The Islamic Law (Restatement) Act (1964)
  6. The Law of Marriage Act (1971)
  7. The Magistrates’ Courts Act (1984)

Thailand

  1. Civil and Commercial Code (1925)
  2. The Code of Muslim Family Law and Law of Inheritance (1941)
  3. Act on Application of Islamic Law in the Provinces of Pattani, Narathiwat, Yala, and Satun (1946)

Trinidad and Tobago

  1. Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (Cap.45.02) (1961)
  2. Amendment to the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (No.8) (2017)

Tunisia

  1. Code du Statut Personnel (1956)

United Arab Emirates

  1. Law on the Establishment of Federal Courts (No. 6) (1978)
  2. Personal Status Law (No. 28) (2005) (Arabic)

Uganda

  1. Marriage Act (Cap.251) (1904)
  2. Marriage and Divorce of Mohammedans Act (Cap. 252) (1906)
  3. Succession Act (Cap.162) (1906)
  4. The Succession (Amendment) Decree (1972)
  5. Customary Marriage (Registration) Act (Cap.248) (1973)
  6. The Constitution of the Republic of Uganda (1995)

Yemen

  1. PDRY (South) Family Act (No.1) (1974)
  2. YAR (North) Personal Status Law (No.3) (1978)
  3. Judicial Authority Law (No. 1) (1991)
  4. Republic of (Unified) Yemen Personal Status Law (No. 20) (1992)
  5. Civil Procedure Code (No. 40) (2002)

In addition to the resources listed above, you can also consult the following websites to obtain further information on national MFL systems:

Islamic Family Law Project website at Emory University,

Musawah’s Mapping of Muslim Family Laws Globally initiative website,

Women’s Learning Partnership’s Learning Center,

SHARIAsource project website of the Program in Islamic Law at Harvard Law School.

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Prof. Yüksel Sezgin

The MFL-I Research Team

100 Eggers Hall, 13244

Syracuse, NY, USA

info@muslimfamilylawindex.com