law: Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937
  3. Power to make a declaration
  (1) Any person who satisfies the prescribed
  
  authority-
  (a) that he is a
  
  Muslim, and
  (b) that he is
  
  competent to contract within the meaning of section 11 of the Indian Contract
  
  Act, 1872, and
  (c) that he is a
  
  resident of 6[the territories to which this Act extends]
  may by declaration in the prescribed form and
  
  filed before the prescribed authority declare that he desires to obtain the
  
  benefit of 7[the provisions of this section], and thereafter the provisions of
  
  section 2 shall apply to the declarant and all his
  
  minor children and their descendants as if in addition to the matters
  
  enumerated therein adoption, wills and legacies were also specified.
  (2) Where the prescribed authority refuses to
  
  accept a declaration under sub-section (1), the person desiring to make the
  
  same may appeal to such officer as the 8[State] Government may, if he is satisfied
  
  that the appellant is entitled to make the declaration, order the prescribed
  
  authority to accept the same.