For far too long, the dark underbelly of regressive Islamic practices such as triple talaq, halala, and unchecked polygamy has remained shrouded in silence, leaving countless women trapped in cycles of abuse, humiliation, and oppression. Behind the facade of religious tradition lies a brutal reality, where women are treated as disposable, traded between men under the guise of faith, stripped of dignity, and forced to endure lives of subjugation without hope of justice.
In a gut-wrenching testimony that has brought to light the deep trauma caused by regressive personal laws and unchecked patriarchal cruelty within Islam, an Assistant Professor at Jamia Millia Islamia has accused his father of decades-long abuse, religious manipulation, and attempts to kill him. The academic, Raqib Alam, shared a harrowing complaint filed with the police, detailing how his mother, Ruqaiya Khatoon, became a victim of triple talaq, halala, and systematic emotional and physical abuse spanning nearly five decades.
Speaking exclusively to Organiser, Raqib said, “My father is a narcissist and an anti-social element who needs to be put behind bars. He treated my mother like a slave all her life, even after marrying another woman. He’s after her property and he tried to kill me – his own son.”
A life filled with torture
In a detailed complaint submitted to the police, a copy of which has been accessed by Organiser, Rukaiyya Khatoon narrated her 46-year-long ordeal in chilling detail. Married to Mohd. Arif from Bohita village in Kishanganj district of Bihar, Rukaiyya says her life became a living nightmare within a year of marriage. “Mohd. Arif started torturing me for dowry money, bed, chair, motorcycle, watch, quilt, mattress… He would send me back to my parental home to fetch these items. When I failed to bring them, he beat me mercilessly, sometimes publicly. He even poured hot water on me and tried to kill me several times,” she wrote.
The abuse, she said, extended to their infant son, Raqib Alam. “He even tried to kill my six-month-old baby. He used to keep the child and send me away, just to extract dowry,” Rukaiyya recounted. Adding to the trauma, Mohd. Arif forcibly sterilised her to ensure she could not leave him or have more children.
In a cruel twist, eight years into the marriage, Arif married another woman, Nauroz Begum, but continued to torment Rukaiyya.
The torment escalated when, around 31 years ago, Mohd. Arif pronounced triple talaq. “I was thrown out. The village elders said I couldn’t live with him anymore. But with the help of relatives, he forcibly brought me back. People socially boycotted us, calling our living arrangement after triple talaq illegitimate. Yet he made me live like a slave—physically, mentally, emotionally, and psychologically abused,” she said.
Seeking refuge, Rukaiyya moved to Delhi in 2012 to live with her son, but Mohd. Arif relentlessly pursued her and brought her back to Bihar with the help of relatives. “Even when my son tried to take me for medical treatment, he blocked it. He manipulated me, exploited me, and prevented me from receiving basic healthcare,” her complaint reads.
In 2018, the violence took another dark turn when Arif pressured her to sell land inherited from her parents, using the proceeds to enrich the children from his second marriage. “He even attacked my son Raqib with an axe when he protested,” Rukaiyya said, adding that Arif’s history includes multiple suspensions from his job as a transport conductor and involvement in criminal cases, including murder.
Despite this, he managed to escape justice due to political connections.
Fatwa issued
A crucial detail that further underscores the exploitation faced by Rukaiyya Khatoon is the issuance of a fatwa after her husband, Mohammad Arif, continued to keep her with him despite giving her triple talaq.
According to the documents accessed by Organiser, the fatwa, was obtained confirming that after the pronouncement of talaq, the marital relationship between the two had legally and religiously ended. Yet, Arif disregarded both societal norms and religious rulings, forcibly bringing Rukaiyya back and continuing to live with her in violation of Islamic principles.
This led to social boycotts by the local community, but Arif, shielded by political influence and an utter disregard for religious sanctity, persisted in exploiting and controlling her, subjecting her to continued abuse under the guise of an invalid marriage.
Abuses to date
The abuse continued into recent years. In 2022, her son once again brought her to Delhi for a full check-up, but Arif, with the help of relatives, forcibly took her back to Bihar. Her health deteriorated further—heart disease, depression, parasitosis, spinal problems, but Arif continued to block her treatment.
The tipping point came in February 2024 when Rukaiyya suffered a massive heart attack. “I was in pain for five hours, but Mohd. Arif refused to take me to the hospital. My daughter finally intervened. I had a 100 percent artery blockage and had to undergo angioplasty. Doctors advised me to stay away from him,” she revealed. She now resides in Delhi under medical care, but her safety remains under constant threat.
In her complaint, she pleaded, “I fear for my life and my son’s life. I do not want to return to Mohd. Arif because after triple talaq, the relationship between us has legally and religiously ended. I am filing this petition to seek protection for myself and my son.”
“My father is a narcissist…”
Speaking exclusively to Organiser, her son, Assistant Professor Raqib Alam, shared the emotional and psychological toll this saga has taken on him. “My father is a narcissist and an anti-social element who deserves to be behind bars. He has destroyed my mother’s life, and mine too. He even attacked me when I was a child and has tried to kill me multiple times,” Raqib said, his voice heavy with years of bottled anguish.
Raqib revealed the most horrifying truth he recently uncovered: “My mother was forced into halala twice, by my own uncles. I came to know this only recently. The cruelty of this is beyond words. What kind of religion or society justifies this? If a woman had multiple men, would the same society accept it? This is pure oppression.”
He further explained how the abusive patriarch not only shattered his mother’s life but also destroyed his own family. “My own marriage broke down because of this toxic environment. Despite being educated, despite having a respectable job, I feel helpless in protecting my mother. He has kept her like a slave for decades, controlled her every move, and continues to defame both of us on social media and in the community.”
Expressing frustration over the continued practice of polygamy and the misuse of Islamic personal laws, he said, “This system gives men absolute power while women suffer silently. Had my father not married another woman, maybe things could have been different. But the truth is, women under this system are trapped mentally, physically, emotionally, and generations suffer.”
Despite everything, Raqib has continued to provide medical help to his abusive father, even arranging treatment at AIIMS, a testament to the conflicting emotions of duty and trauma. Yet he lives in fear: “I am afraid that one day he might kill me just to drag my mother back to that hell.”
As he fights for justice and his mother’s right to dignity, Raqib’s plea is clear: “All I want is for my mother to live peacefully, receive the medical care she needs, and be free from the clutches of this man who has ruined so many lives. He must be stopped.”
“Even after getting educated so much, I remain helpless in saving my mother,” he said, visibly emotional.
Connection with Congress
According to Raqib, his father enjoys political protection and has avoided accountability for years. Arif, who worked as a conductor for Bihar State Transport, has been suspended several times for misconduct, has a past linked to criminal cases, including murder, and has reportedly escaped police scrutiny due to connections with Congress leaders.
Attempts by Raqib to involve the police in counselling sessions failed as Arif managed to manipulate testimonies through relatives. “When police called him for counseling, he ran away to Delhi. My own family members gave false statements saying my mother is physically and mentally fit and that there was no abuse,” Ruqaiya wrote.
As Ruqaiya continues to recover in Delhi, mother and son now hope the system will hear their cries before it’s too late.
The case stands as a disturbing reminder of the real human cost of unchecked patriarchal and religious abuse, where not only women but entire families are left scarred. Both mother and son now await justice, safety, and the hope of healing.
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