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Marriage and family

Marriage in Islam: the conditions of a valid contract

The ruling in short

Allah says that among His signs is that He created for you spouses to find tranquillity in them, and placed between you affection and mercy (30:21). A valid marriage needs the consent of both parties, the guardian (wali) of the woman, witnesses, and the mahr. The Prophet ﷺ said that a previously married woman is not married until she is consulted and a virgin until her permission is asked.

1The requirements

  • The consent of the bride and the groom. Forcing a woman to marry is not valid.
  • The guardian of the woman: the Prophet ﷺ said that there is no marriage without a guardian (reported by Abu Dawud and graded sahih by many).
  • Two just witnesses and the announcement of the marriage.
  • The mahr, which belongs to the wife. The Prophet ﷺ taught a man to give something, even an iron ring, or teach some of the Quran he knew.

2The prohibited marriages

  • A woman who is forbidden by relation (the mothers, daughters, sisters and so on), by breastfeeding or by marriage (4:23).
  • Two sisters at the same time, and a woman at the same time as her aunt.
  • A Muslim woman marrying a non-Muslim man. A Muslim man may marry a chaste woman of the People of the Book (5:5).
  • A woman in her iddah (waiting period).

Where the schools differ

The four Sunni schools agree on the main ruling above and differ in these points. No school is preferred here.

  • The guardian. the majority (Maliki, Shafi'i, Hanbali) say there is no marriage without a guardian. The Hanafi school allows an adult, sane woman to contract her own marriage, though it is recommended to involve the guardian.
  • Witnesses. the Hanafi, Shafi'i and Hanbali schools require two witnesses at the contract, and the Maliki school accepts the public announcement if witnesses were not present at the contract itself.

The evidence

From the Quran

وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلنِّسَآءَ صَدُقَٰتِهِنَّ نِحْلَةًۭ ۚ فَإِن طِبْنَ لَكُمْ عَن شَىْءٍۢ مِّنْهُ نَفْسًۭا فَكُلُوهُ هَنِيٓـًۭٔا مَّرِيٓـًۭٔا ﴿٤﴾

Dan berikanlah kepada perempuan-perempuan itu maskahwin-maskahwin mereka sebagai pemberian yang wajib. Kemudian jika mereka dengan suka hatinya memberikan kepada kamu sebahagian dari maskahwinnya maka makanlah (gunakanlah) pemberian (yang halal) itu sebagai nikmat yang lazat, lagi baik kesudahannya.

وَمِنْ ءَايَٰتِهِۦٓ أَنْ خَلَقَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَٰجًۭا لِّتَسْكُنُوٓا۟ إِلَيْهَا وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَكُم مَّوَدَّةًۭ وَرَحْمَةً ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَءَايَٰتٍۢ لِّقَوْمٍۢ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ﴿٢١﴾

Dan di antara tanda-tanda yang membuktikan kekuasaannya dan rahmatNya, bahawa Ia menciptakan untuk kamu (wahai kaum lelaki), isteri-isteri dari jenis kamu sendiri, supaya kamu bersenang hati dan hidup mesra dengannya, dan dijadikanNya di antara kamu (suami isteri) perasaan kasih sayang dan belas kasihan. Sesungguhnya yang demikian itu mengandungi keterangan-keterangan (yang menimbulkan kesedaran) bagi orang-orang yang berfikir.

وَأَنكِحُوا۟ ٱلْأَيَٰمَىٰ مِنكُمْ وَٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ مِنْ عِبَادِكُمْ وَإِمَآئِكُمْ ۚ إِن يَكُونُوا۟ فُقَرَآءَ يُغْنِهِمُ ٱللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِۦ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ وَٰسِعٌ عَلِيمٌۭ ﴿٣٢﴾

Dan kahwinkanlah orang-orang bujang (lelaki dan perempuan) dari kalangan kamu, dan orang-orang yang soleh dari hamba-hamba kamu, lelaki dan perempuan. Jika mereka miskin, Allah akan memberikan kekayaan kepada mereka dari limpah kurniaNya kerana Allah Maha Luas (rahmatNya dan limpah kurniaNya), lagi Maha Mengetahui.

From the Sunnah

Sahih al-Bukhari 5136 Authentic collection

The point of the hadith: A previously married woman is not given in marriage until she is consulted, and a virgin until her permission is asked.

Read the Arabic text

حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاذُ بْنُ فَضَالَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ، عَنْ يَحْيَى، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، أَنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، حَدَّثَهُمْ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏"‏ لاَ تُنْكَحُ الأَيِّمُ حَتَّى تُسْتَأْمَرَ وَلاَ تُنْكَحُ الْبِكْرُ حَتَّى تُسْتَأْذَنَ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَكَيْفَ إِذْنُهَا قَالَ ‏"‏ أَنْ تَسْكُتَ ‏"‏‏.‏

Read it on sunnah.com

Sunan Abi Dawud 2085

The point of the hadith: There is no marriage without a guardian.

Graded by

  • Al-Albani: Sahih
  • Muhammad Muhyi Al-Din Abdul Hamid: Sahih
  • Zubair Ali Zai: Sahih
Read the Arabic text

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ قُدَامَةَ بْنِ أَعْيَنَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ الْحَدَّادُ، عَنْ يُونُسَ، وَإِسْرَائِيلَ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ لاَ نِكَاحَ إِلاَّ بِوَلِيٍّ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ هُوَ يُونُسُ عَنْ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ وَإِسْرَائِيلُ عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ عَنْ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ ‏.‏

Read it on sunnah.com

Sahih al-Bukhari 5135 Authentic collection

The point of the hadith: The Prophet ﷺ told a man who wished to marry to look for something to give, even an iron ring, and when he found nothing, married him for the Quran he knew.

Read the Arabic text

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ أَبِي حَازِمٍ، عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ، قَالَ جَاءَتِ امْرَأَةٌ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَتْ إِنِّي وَهَبْتُ مِنْ نَفْسِي‏.‏ فَقَامَتْ طَوِيلاً فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ زَوِّجْنِيهَا، إِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ لَكَ بِهَا حَاجَةٌ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ هَلْ عِنْدَكَ مِنْ شَىْءٍ تُصْدِقُهَا ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ مَا عِنْدِي إِلاَّ إِزَارِي‏.‏ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ إِنْ أَعْطَيْتَهَا إِيَّاهُ جَلَسْتَ لاَ إِزَارَ لَكَ، فَالْتَمِسْ شَيْئًا ‏"‏‏.‏ فَقَالَ مَا أَجِدُ شَيْئًا‏.‏ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ الْتَمِسْ وَلَوْ خَاتَمًا مِنْ حَدِيدِ ‏"‏‏.‏ فَلَمْ يَجِدْ‏.‏ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ أَمَعَكَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ شَىْءٌ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ نَعَمْ سُورَةُ كَذَا وَسُورَةُ كَذَا لِسُوَرٍ سَمَّاهَا‏.‏ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ زَوَّجْنَاكَهَا بِمَا مَعَكَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ ‏"‏‏.‏

Read it on sunnah.com

This is general information, not a fatwa. For your own situation, ask a qualified scholar.

Fiqh questions

Marriage in Islam: the conditions of a valid contract

Allah says that among His signs is that He created for you spouses to find tranquillity in them, and placed between you affection and mercy (30:21). A valid marriage needs the consent of both parties, the guardian (wali) of the woman, witnesses, and the mahr. The Prophet ﷺ said that a previously married woman is not married until she is consulted and a virgin until her permission is asked.

Is this a fatwa?

No. It is a summary of well-known rulings with their evidence. For your own case, ask a qualified scholar.

What if my school differs from this answer?

Follow the view of the school you follow and the scholar who teaches you. The page lists the differences of the four schools.

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