Fatwa ID: 06097
Answered by: Alimah Zainab Nakhuda
Question:
I committed Zina with my (now) husband before we did our nikaah. We have deeply repented for our sins and I pray that Allah SWT forgives us.
Is my Nikaah still valid? I did not repent between the time of committing Zina and the Nikaah. I repented a few years after our Nikaah.
I have heard that you are required to repent before your nikaah in order to make it valid – is this true? If so what can I do to make this right ?
Is there such a thing as repeating a Nikaah? I am afraid that I would have to inform the masjid and that would go against concealing my sins.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Tawbah from Zina is not a requirement for Nikaah, according to most scholars. Some scholars are of the opinion that both must do Tawbah first1, but most are not.
What you heard may have been regarding the verse in Surah Noor, verse 3:
﴿ٱلزَّانِی لَا یَنكِحُ إِلَّا زَانِیَةً أَوۡ مُشۡرِكَةࣰ وَٱلزَّانِیَةُ لَا یَنكِحُهَاۤ إِلَّا زَانٍ أَوۡ مُشۡرِكࣱۚ وَحُرِّمَ ذَ ٰلِكَ عَلَى ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِینَ﴾ [النور ٣]
A male fornicator would only marry a female fornicator or idolatress. And a female fornicator would only be married to a fornicator or idolater. This is ˹all˺ forbidden to the believers
Ibn Katheer RA mentions in his Tafseer that the meaning of Nikaah in this verse is regarding actual intercourse, outside of marriage. ie. they should not continue in this relationship with Zina. Not actual Nikaah.2
In conclusion, Tawbah is not a condition for the Nikaah to be valid. There is no need to repeat the Nikaah. It is better to conceal one’s sins and be hopeful of Allah’s SWT mercy.
Only Allah knows best.
Written by Alimah Zainab Nakhuda
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
1 Tafsir Ibn Katheer, https://tafsir.app/ibn-katheer/24/3
قَالُوا: فَأَمَّا إِذَا حَصَلَتْ تَوْبَةٌ فَإِنَّهُ يَحِلُّ التَّزْوِيجُ، كَمَا قَالَ الْإِمَامُ أَبُو مُحَمَّدِ بْنُ أَبِي حَاتِمٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ:
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو سَعِيدٍ الأشَجّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو خَالِدٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي ذِئْبٍ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ [شُعْبَةَ](٣٤) -مَوْلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ -قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ وَسَأَلَهُ رَجُلٌ قَالَ(٣٥) :إِنِّي كُنْتُ أُلِمُّ بِامْرَأَةٍ آتِي مِنْهَا مَا حَرّم اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ عَلَيَّ، فَرَزَقَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ مِنْ ذَلِكَ تَوْبَةً، فَأَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَتَزَوَّجَهَا، فَقَالَ أُنَاسٌ: إِنَّ الزَّانِيَ لَا يَنْكِحُ إِلَّا زَانِيَةً. فَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: لَيْسَ هَذَا فِي هَذَا، انْكِحْهَا فَمَا كَانَ مِنْ إِثْمٍ فَعَلَيَّ.
وَقَدِ ادَّعَى طَائِفَةٌ آخَرُونَ مِنَ الْعُلَمَاءِ أَنَّ هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ مَنْسُوخَةٌ
2Tafseer Ibn Katheer, https://tafsir.app/ibn-katheer/24/3
هَذَا خَبَر مِنَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى بِأَنَّ الزَّانِيَ لَا يَطأ إِلَّا زَانِيَةً أَوْ مُشْرِكَةً. أَيْ: لَا يُطَاوِعُهُ عَلَى مُرَادِهِ مِنَ الزِّنَى إِلَّا زَانِيَةٌ عَاصِيَةٌ أَوْ مُشْرِكَةٌ، لَا تَرَى حُرْمَةَ ذَلِكَ، وَكَذَلِكَ
