Fatwa ID: 08542
Written by Alimah Saniyah bint Asrar
Asalamaualaikum,
I have a query if you can please clarify. I’m currently a student of Knowledge studying fiqh rules. I’d like to clarify a scenario and check these rules are correct in this situation. If you can please explain if the reasonings are correct to Hanafi Madhab, it would be greatly appreciated.
Scenario:
Several children (all not reached puberty yet) played a wedding game where one girl played the bride, one boy the groom, another one boy/girl acting as middleman and another one or two boy/girl watching and also playing something else not paying attention. There are no adults present.
I’d like to confirm with you if this reasoning below is correct, that this marriage is NOT valid due to either one of these reasons:
– The “Bride” and “groom” (boy and girl) both underage and would require presence of Wali for both of them and their walis permission.
– The “witnesses” are children (not yet reached puberty), and children cannot be witnesses. As witnesses are necessary for a nikah to be valid in Hanafi Madhab.
Q1) I’d also like to ask if adults were present but not paying attention would they qualify as witnesses. What rules are there for witnesses?
Q2) I’d also like to ask who qualifies as the wali?
Q3) I’d also like to check if niyyah is required in nikah. If it was said jokingly I understand nikah to be valid however, would that mean no niyyah is required? Since jokingly it is still accepted.
A detailed explanation would be greatly appreciated.
Jazak’Allahu Khayr for your time in responding.
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Yes, you are right that since both children are under the age of puberty, they would require a wali to represent them. Therefore, their Nikah isn’t valid in this situation. The requirements for a witness are that they must be, Muslim, baaligh, sane, 2 males or one male and 2 females. If the witnesses aren’t doing their job of witnessing it won’t count.
The wali is generally the closest male relative of a girl. This is usually the bride’s father, who is legally her guardian but can also be her paternal grandfather, her brother, or her paternal uncle.
Intention is not a requirement in Nikah just as it generally isn’t a requirement in Talaq (unless the Talaq is unclear.) Therefore, if these children were older and carried out something similar, they would actually be considered married.
References:
العناية شرح الهداية – بهامش فتح القدير ط الحلبي ٣/١٩٩
قَالَ (وَلَا يَنْعَقِدُ نِكَاحُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ إلَّا بِحُضُورِ شَاهِدَيْنِ حُرَّيْنِ عَاقِلَيْنِ بَالِغَيْنِ مُسْلِمَيْنِ أَوْ رَجُلٌ وَامْرَأَتَيْنِ عُدُولًا كَانُوا أَوْ غَيْرَ عُدُولٍ) أَمَّا اشْتِرَاطُ الشَّهَادَةِ فَلِقَوْلِهِ ﵊ «لَا نِكَاحَ إلَّا بِشُهُودٍ» وَاعْتُرِضَ بِأَنَّهُ خَبَرٌ وَاحِدٌ فَلَا يَجُوزُ تَخْصِيصُ قَوْله تَعَالَى ﴿فَانْكِحُوا مَا طَابَ لَكُمْ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ﴾ [النساء: ٣] وَغَيْرُهُ مِنْ الْآيَاتِ بِهِ.
الهداية في شرح بداية المبتدي ١/١٨٥
كتاب النكاح
قال: «النكاح ينعقد بالإيجاب والقبول بلفظين يعبر بهما عن الماضي» لأن الصيغة وإن كانت للإخبار وضعا فقد جعلت للإنشاء شرعا دفعا للحاجة «وينعقد بلفظين يعبر بأحدهما عن الماضي وبالآخر عن المستقبل مثل أن يقول زوجني فيقول زوجتك» لأن هذا توكيل بالنكاح والواحد يتولى طرفي النكاح على ما نبينه إن شاء الله تعالى «وينعقد بلفظ النكاح والتزويج والهبة والتمليك والصدقة» وقال الشافعي ﵀ لا ينعقد إلا بلفظ النكاح والتزويج لأن التمليك ليس حقيقة فيه ولا مجازا عنه لأن الترويج للتلفيق والنكاح للضم ولا ضم ولا ازدواج بين المالك والمملوكة أصلا.
Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.
Written by Alimah Saniyah bint Asrar
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
