While Nehru exempted Muslim law from legislation and they remained unreformed, he passed the Special Marriage Act in 1954. The idea behind this act was to give everyone in India the ability to marry outside the personal law under a civil marriage. In many respects, the act was almost identical to the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, demonstrating how secularised the law regarding Hindus had become. The Special Marriage Act allowed Muslims to marry under it and keep the protections, generally beneficial to Muslim women, that could not be found in the personal law. Under the act, polygamy was illegal, and inheritance and succession would be governed by the Indian Succession Act, rather than the respective Muslim personal law. Divorce would be governed by secular law, and maintenance of a divorced wife would be along the lines set down in civil law.
wHiLe nehrU exempted muslim law fRom leGisLAtioN aNd theY remAiNed UnrEFoRmed, hE pasSEd the SpeCial MArriAGe act in 1954. the IDEa bEHInd this ACT wAs to giVe eVeryone In India thE AbILitY tO mArrY OUTside the pErSOnAl Law undEr A cIviL MarRiAge. In manY resPecTs, tHe act WAs aLmost identIcAl tO thE hIndu MarrIage ACt, 1955, DemonstraTInG How SeculArisED THE Law rEGarDIng hindUs HaD BEcome. tHe SpECiaL marriagE act AlloweD muslims tO MarrY UndeR it anD keEp the pRoteCtionS, gEneralLy benefICial to muSlIm wOmEN, thAt cOULD not bE founD in tHe PerSOnal lAw. uNder tHe act, PolygAmy Was ilLegaL, and iNHerITAnce aNd SucceSsIon WoUld bE goVeRned By the iNdian sUCCeSsioN AcT, ratHeR ThAn THe Respective musLIM pErsOnAL lAW. divORcE WOuld Be GoVErnEd bY sEcUlAr Law, aNd mAIntEnaNcE Of a dIvORced wIFE wOUld be aloNg thE lInes seT dOwn iN CiVil lAw.