Fatwa ID: 06937
Answered by: Maulana Ousman Haye
Question:
I need a fatwa regarding marriage.
I fell in love with a girl who is living in another country. so, because we are talking every day I thought I should do nikah with her then I can talk legally as per Islamic laws.
We performed online nikah by ourselves. means ijaab o qabool but at that time nobody with me and her, but once we did nikah we told to everyone that we got married. And everyone knows we are married. after I went to meet her in that country I also paid her Haq Mehar. After that, we had a physical relation.
But now someone was saying it’s not nikah and made us confused. if we are not married so we did zina which is a sin. So, what is the solution now?
Also, because of this doubt, we are having issues in our relationship. If we are in nikah she will live with me because we already had sex. but if it’s not so maybe I will lose her.
I will be grateful to you if you guide me in the right way.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Based on the aforementioned, this does not constitute a valid Nikah in Islam.
Among the essential conditions for a Nikah (marriage) to be valid is that there must be an Ijaab (consent) from one party and Qubool (acceptance) from the other party in front of 2 male witnesses or 1 male and two female witnesses.
Also from among the conditions of a valid nikah is that both Ijaab and Qubool (consent and acceptance) must be done in the same one Majlis (sitting), and in that same one sitting, the witnesses must hear the Ijaab and Qubool.
This condition is not found in marriages that are done online, since one party would be in his own Majlis (sitting) in one city or country, and the other party would be in her own Majlis (sitting) in another city or country.
This also means that the two witnesses would not be able to listen to the Ijaab and Qubool being done in the same one Majlis (sitting).
The above-mentioned conditions were not found in the “nikah” you did, thus the nikah is not valid. Therefore, it is essential that both of you repent to Allah (swt) and beseech his forgiveness and mercy.
If you would like to continue to stay with one another and feel that you both are good for each other, then you must get married through a valid nikah with an Ijab and Qabool in front of 2 male witnesses or 1 male and 2 female witnesses all sitting in the same area and majlis at the same time.
Once the above conditions are met, you will not be considered married Islamically. Until then, it will be haram to be in each other’s company.
If you would like to be with one another, then perform the nikah with the above-mentioned conditions as soon as possible, then you will be halal for one another and will be able to live together again.
(وَأَمَّا رُكْنُهُ) فَالْإِيجَابُ وَالْقَبُولُ، كَذَا فِي الْكَافِي وَالْإِيجَابُ مَا يُتَلَفَّظُ بِهِ أَوَّلًا مِنْ أَيِّ جَانِبٍ كَانَ وَالْقَبُولُ جَوَابُهُ هَكَذَا فِي الْعِنَايَةِ
(الفتاوى الهندية، ج١، ص٢٦٧، دار الفكر)
(وَأَمَّا) الَّذِي يَرْجِعُ إلَى مَكَانِ الْعَقْدِ فَهُوَ اتِّحَادُ الْمَجْلِسِ إذَا كَانَ الْعَاقِدَانِ حَاضِرَيْنِ وَهُوَ أَنْ يَكُونَ الْإِيجَابُ وَالْقَبُولُ فِي مَجْلِسٍ وَاحِدٍ حَتَّى لَوْ اخْتَلَفَ الْمَجْلِسُ لَا يَنْعَقِدُ النِّكَاحُ، بِأَنْ كَانَا حَاضِرَيْنِ فَأَوْجَبَ أَحَدُهُمَا فَقَامَ الْآخَرُ عَنْ الْمَجْلِسِ قَبْلَ الْقَبُولِ، أَوْ اشْتَغَلَ بِعَمَلٍ يُوجِبُ اخْتِلَافَ الْمَجْلِسِ، لَا يَنْعَقِدُ؛ لِأَنَّ انْعِقَادَهُ عِبَارَةٌ عَنْ ارْتِبَاطِ أَحَدِ الشَّطْرَيْنِ بِالْآخَرِ، فَكَانَ الْقِيَاسُ وُجُودَهُمَا فِي مَكَان وَاحِدٍ، إلَّا أَنَّ اعْتِبَارَ ذَلِكَ يُؤَدِّي إلَى سَدِّ بَابِ الْعُقُودِ؛ فَجُعِلَ الْمَجْلِسُ جَامِعًا لِلشَّطْرَيْنِ حُكْمًا مَعَ تَفَرُّقِهِمَا حَقِيقَةً لِلضَّرُورَةِ، وَالضَّرُورَةُ تَنْدَفِعُ عِنْدَ اتِّحَادِ الْمَجْلِسِ، فَإِذَا اخْتَلَفَ تَفَرُّقُ الشَّطْرَيْنِ حَقِيقَةً وَحُكْمًا فَلَا يَنْتَظِمُ الرُّكْنُ.
(البحر الرائق، ج٢، ص٢٣٢، دار الكتب العلمية)
وَمِنْهَا سَمَاعُ الشَّاهِدَيْنِ كَلَامَ الْمُتَعَاقِدَيْنِ جَمِيعًا حَتَّى لَوْ سَمِعَا كَلَامَ أَحَدِهِمَا دُونَ الْآخَرِ أَوْ سَمِعَ أَحَدُهُمَا كَلَامَ أَحَدِهِمَا وَالْآخَرُ كَلَامَ الْآخَرِ لَا يَجُوزُ النِّكَاحُ؛ لِأَنَّ الشَّهَادَةَ أَعْنِي حُضُورَ الشُّهُودِ شَرْطُ رُكْنِ الْعَقْدِ، وَرُكْنُ الْعَقْدِ هُوَ الْإِيجَابُ وَالْقَبُولُ فِيمَا لَمْ يَسْمَعَا كَلَامَهُمَا لَا تَتَحَقَّقُ الشَّهَادَةُ عَنْ الرُّكْنِ فَلَا يُوجَدُ شَرْطُ الرُّكْنِ – وَاَللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ -.
وَمِنْهَا الْعَدَدُ فَلَا يَنْعَقِدُ النِّكَاحُ بِشَاهِدٍ وَاحِدٍ لِقَوْلِهِ: ﷺ «لَا نِكَاحَ إلَّا بِشُهُودٍ» وَقَوْلِهِ: «لَا نِكَاحَ إلَّا بِشَاهِدَيْنِ»
وَكَذَا ذُكُورَةُ الشَّاهِدَيْنِ لَيْسَتْ بِشَرْطٍ عِنْدَنَا وَيَنْعَقِدُ النِّكَاحُ بِحُضُورِ رَجُلٍ وَامْرَأَتَيْنِ عِنْدَنَا
(البحر الرائق، ج٢، ص٢٥٥، دار الكتب العلمية)
Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.
Written by Maulana Ousman Haye
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
