Fatwa ID: 08605

 

 

Written by Alimah Maryam Badshah

 

Question:

 

I had a question regarding an incident that took place a few years ago. I was with my cousins one day and all of us were talking about marriage. Then us cousins said to one of our guy cousins that when he gets married we will have so many events for him. Then to that he replied something like “no I’m gonna have a simple wedding” it was something like that, then he goes like “قبلت” and then right after that he said “نكحت” I believe he was just describing that he will just have a simple nikah and that’s it.

 

When he said that, at that moment I got scared that what if nikah happens like this with the words he used. So immediately in my mind I said “no” or something like that and laughed at what he said, basically the “no” was meant to reject the offer. Although I’m pretty sure he wasn’t making that offer to me and he was just describing how his nikah will be but I keep getting doubts about this.

 

He did not mention any girls specific name when saying those words and there were many other female cousins there as well.

 

What should I do about these doubts? And does nikah happen with what he said and the way he said it?

 

 

 

 

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

 

Answer:

 

A nikkah consists of three conditions: first the proposal of marriage (Ijaab) is made, after which would be the acceptance (Qabul), alongside witnesses who are muslim and mature (baligh). Both the proposal and acceptance made in a nikkah must be clearly heard by all parties, who all understand that a nikah is taking place and who is marrying whom.

 

In the situation described, it is clear that your cousin’s statements were not directed to a real or specific person. It should also be noted that both statements of nikah were said by your cousin and in the wrong order (also نكحت would not be grammatically correct as a proposal). In nikkah, the proposal is said first by one party and the answer of acceptance would be said by the other party (e.g. the proposal by the male and the acceptance by the female, or vice versa). It is not valid for one side to perform both the proposal and acceptance alone, which is what your cousin did.

 

In regards to witnesses, it was also clear to both yourself and your other relatives that your cousin was just describing his ideal nikkah and that no real nikkah was being officiated. As mentioned before, witnesses need to be aware that they are witnessing a marriage taking place for it to be valid, as well as who each party is in the marriage.

 

Marriage is a clear and deliberate endeavour that should not contain any ambiguities. It is where both the bride, groom and witnesses are aware of the marriage taking place and are willing for it to proceed. In this situation, taking all the factors into account a nikkah would be invalid and therefore not have taken place.

 

 

 

 

References:

 

(وَأَمَّا رُكْنُهُ) فَالْإِيجَابُ وَالْقَبُولُ، كَذَا فِي الْكَافِي وَالْإِيجَابُ مَا يُتَلَفَّظُ بِهِ أَوَّلًا مِنْ أَيِّ جَانِبٍ كَانَ وَالْقَبُولُ جَوَابُهُ هَكَذَا فِي الْعِنَايَةِ…(وَمِنْهَا) الشَّهَادَةُ قَالَ عَامَّةُ الْعُلَمَاءِ: إنَّهَا شَرْطُ جَوَازِ النِّكَاحِ هَكَذَا فِي الْبَدَائِعِ وَشُرِطَ فِي الشَّاهِدِ أَرْبَعَةُ أُمُورٍ: الْحُرِّيَّةُ وَالْعَقْلُ وَالْبُلُوغُ وَالْإِسْلَامُ…

Al-Fatāwa al-Hindiyyah (Vol.1, pg.267, Dār Al-Fiqr)

 

(وَمِنْهَا) سَمَاعُ الشَّاهِدَيْنِ كَلَامَهُمَا مَعًا هَكَذَا فِي فَتْحِ الْقَدِيرِ فَلَا يَنْعَقِدُ بِشَهَادَةِ نَائِمَيْنِ إذَا لَمْ يَسْمَعَا كَلَامَ الْعَاقِدَيْنِ، كَذَا فِي فَتَاوَى قَاضِي خَانْ…  وَلَوْ سَمِعَا كَلَامَ أَحَدِهِمَا دُونَ الْآخَرِ أَوْ سَمِعَ أَحَدُهُمَا كَلَامَ أَحَدِهِمَا وَالْآخَرُ كَلَامَ الْآخَرِ لَا يَجُوزُ النِّكَاحُ هَكَذَا فِي الْبَدَائِعِ وَلَوْ كَانَ بِحَضْرَةِ الرَّجُلَيْنِ…

رَجُلٌ قَالَ لِقَوْمٍ: اشْهَدُوا أَنِّي تَزَوَّجْتُ هَذِهِ الْمَرْأَةَ الَّتِي فِي هَذَا الْبَيْتِ فَقَالَتْ الْمَرْأَةُ: قَبِلْتُ فَسَمِعَ الشُّهُودُ مَقَالَتَهَا وَلَمْ يَرَوْا شَخْصَهَا فَإِنْ كَانَتْ فِي الْبَيْتِ وَحْدَهَا جَازَ النِّكَاحُ، وَإِنْ كَانَتْ فِي الْبَيْتِ مَعَهَا أُخْرَى لَا يَجُوزُ….

Al-Fatāwa al-Hindiyyah (Vol.1, pg.268, Dār Al-Fiqr)

 

(وَمِنْهَا) رِضَا الْمَرْأَةِ إذَا كَانَتْ بَالِغَةً بِكْرًا كَانَتْ أَوْ ثَيِّبًا فَلَا يَمْلِكُ الْوَلِيُّ إجْبَارَهَا عَلَى النِّكَاحِ عِنْدَنَا

Al-Fatāwa al-Hindiyyah (Vol.1, pg.269, Dār Al-Fiqr)

 

(الْبَابُ الثَّانِي فِيمَا يَنْعَقِدُ بِهِ النِّكَاحُ وَمَا لَا يَنْعَقِدُ بِهِ) يَنْعَقِدُ بِالْإِيجَابِ وَالْقَبُولِ وُضِعَا لِلْمُضِيِّ أَوْ وُضِعَ أَحَدُهُمَا لِلْمُضِيِّ وَالْآخَرُ لِغَيْرِهِ مُسْتَقْبَلًا كَانَ كَالْأَمْرِ أَوْ حَالًّا كَالْمُضَارِعِ، كَذَا فِي النَّهْرِ الْفَائِقِ فَإِذَا قَالَ لَهَا أَتَزَوَّجُكِ بِكَذَا فَقَالَتْ قَدْ قَبِلْتُ يَتِمُّ النِّكَاحُ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَقُلْ الزَّوْجُ قَبِلْتُ…

Al-Fatāwa al-Hindiyyah (Vol.1, pg.270, Dār Al-Fiqr)

 

 

 

Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.

Written by Alimah Maryam Badshah

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham