Fatwa ID: 07803
Answered by Aalimah Saleha Bukhari Islam
Question:
Asalamulikum, an imam went to a nikkah, before the nikkah, he asked the wali, “Do you have consent from the girl, he said yes”. The imam goes and performs the nikkah, he asks the groom, do you accept the bride in your nikkah? He says yes. The key part, he forgets to ask the bride’s wali for his consent in front of everyone. Does this nikkah occur? Later on, someone asks him, you didn’t take consent from the wali, the imam says to ask the bride and she says she accepts the nikkah. What is the ruling?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Wa alaikum as salām wa rahmatullāhi wa barakātuh,
According to the Hanafi madhab, the nikah (marriage) of a mature woman (balighah) who gets married without a Wali (guardian) is valid even though it is not encouraged due to the many complications that may arise from it. The general principle is that, according to the relied upon position in the Hanafi madhab, the marriage of a free, sane and adult woman without the approval of her Wali is valid if the person she is marrying is a legal and suitable match for her. However, if the person she is marrying is not a legal and suitable match, then her nikah would be considered invalid. In contrast, the other three madhahibs consider a nikah without a Wali’s approval to be invalid irrespective of whether the person is a legal and suitable match or not. The Wali is believed to have the best interest of the child and so the wilayah carries weight in the decision of nikah.
If the Wali raises an objection in compatibility of the marriage keeping the woman’s best interest in mind, for example, due to a mahr being absent – then in this case the Mahr mithl can be paid to settle this objection and validate the marriage. The declared fatwa on invalidity of nikah is when a woman marries someone who is not her legal match – this is the chosen fatwa due to corruption of times.
The Hadiths stating marriage without a Wali’s approval is invalid should be interpreted in context to understand the Hanafi perspective. The following hadith, “Any woman who marries without the permission of her guardian, her marriage is invalid, invalid, invalid” is interpreted as meaning the marriage is invalid in specific situations, particularly when the woman marries someone not legally suitable for her. And the hadith, “There is no marriage without the (permission of a) guardian” mainly apply to pubescent and slave women. For adult and free women, their marriages are considered valid even without a guardian’s consent providing they marry someone legally suitable for them.
It’s important to note that the Hanafi madhab does not require a Wali’s approval for an adult woman’s marriage. This view respects both the Wali’s and the woman’s rights, suggesting that if both parties waive their rights, the marriage can proceed without an issue. This interpretation ensures that a woman’s marriage to a legally suitable match is valid, safeguarding her autonomy while maintaining respect for traditional Wilayah roles which allow for the Wali to place an objection. In this situation, the dispute can be taken to a Shariah court.
Furthermore, Allah says in the Quran:
“When you divorce women, and they fulfil the term of their waiting period (idda), do not prevent them from marrying their (former) husbands, if they mutually agree on equitable terms.” [Surah al-Baqarah, V: 232]
In this verse, Allah attributes the conducting of the marriage to women which thus implies that they can marry themselves without the permission and approval of their Wali. Moreover, the Wali’s are instructed not to interfere by preventing women from marrying their former husbands.
Allah Most High says: “If any of you dies and leaves widows behind, they shall wait concerning themselves four months and ten days: When they have fulfilled their term (of idda), there is no blame on you if they dispose of themselves (marry themselves off) in a just and reasonable manner.”
[Surah al-Baqarah, V: 234)
There is clear indication in this verse that women have the right to marry themselves and do not require the consent of their Wali.
With regards to your question and considering the above evidence – the Wali’s statement affirming the bride’s consent is sufficient. Thus, the Imam performing the nikah thereafter in his absence, having obtained the Wali’s approval is valid. Even in the case where the Imam directly asked the bride for her consent to conduct the nikah (and she consented), then both scenarios are valid under the Hanafi opinion.
لَمَّا ذَكَرَ النِّكَاحَ وَأَلْفَاظَهُ وَمَحَلَّهُ شَرَعَ فِي بَيَانِ عَاقِدِهِ وَأَخَّرَهُ لِأَنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنْ شُرُوطِ صِحَّتِهِ فِي جَمِيعِ الصُّوَرِ وَالْوَلِيُّ فَعِيلٌ بِمَعْنَى فَاعِلٍ ط (قَوْلُهُ وَعُرْفًا) أَيْ فِي عُرْفِ أَهْلِ أُصُولِ الدِّينِ. قَالَ فِي الْبَحْرِ: وَفِي أُصُولِ الدِّينِ هُوَ الْعَارِفُ بِاَللَّهِ تَعَالَى بِأَسْمَائِهِ وَصِفَاتِهِ حَسْبَمَا يُمْكِنُ الْمُوَاظِبُ عَلَى الطَّاعَاتِ الْمُجْتَنِبُ عَنْ الْمَعَاصِي الْغَيْرُ الْمُنْهَمِكِ فِي الشَّهَوَاتِ وَاللَّذَّاتِ كَمَا فِي شَرْحِ الْعَقَائِدِ ح (قَوْلُهُ الْوَارِثُ) كَذَا فِي الْفَتْحِ وَغَيْرِهِ قَالَ الرَّمْلِيُّ: وَذَكَرَهُ مِمَّا لَا يَنْبَغِي إذْ الْحَاكِمُ وَلِيٌّ وَلَيْسَ بِوَارِثٍ. اهـ.
ص54 – كتاب حاشية ابن عابدين رد المحتار ط الحلبي – باب الولي – المكتبة الشاملة
(قَوْلُهُ إذَا كَانَ عَصَبَةً) أَيْ بِنَفْسِهِ، فَلَا يَرُدُّ الْعَصَبَةَ بِالْغَيْرِ كَالْبِنْتِ مَعَ الِابْنِ، وَلَا الْعُصَبَةَ مَعَ الْغَيْرِ كَالْأُخْتِ مَعَ الْبِنْتِ كَمَا فِي الْبَحْرِ ح (قَوْلُهُ فِي غَيْرِ الْكُفْءِ) أَيْ فِي تَزْوِيجِهَا نَفْسَهَا مِنْ غَيْرِ كُفْءٍ، وَكَذَا لَهُ الِاعْتِرَاضُ فِي تَزْوِيجِهَا نَفْسَهَا بِأَقَلَّ مِنْ مَهْرِ مِثْلِهَا، حَتَّى يَتِمَّ مَهْرُ الْمِثْلِ أَوْ يُفَرِّقَ الْقَاضِي كَمَا سَيَذْكُرُهُ الْمُصَنِّفُ فِي بَابِ الْكَفَاءَةِ (قَوْلُهُ فَيَفْسَخُهُ الْقَاضِي) فَلَا تَثْبُتُ هَذِهِ الْفُرْقَةُ إلَّا بِالْقَضَاءِ لِأَنَّهُ مُجْتَهَدٌ فِيهِ وَكُلٌّ مِنْ الْخَصْمَيْنِ يَتَشَبَّثُ بِدَلِيلٍ، فَلَا يَنْقَطِعُ النِّكَاحُ إلَّا بِفِعْلِ الْقَاضِي وَالنِّكَاحُ قَبْلَهُ صَحِيحٌ يَتَوَارَثَانِ بِهِ إذَا مَاتَ أَحَدُهُمَا قَبْلَ الْقَضَاءِ وَهَذِهِ الْفُرْقَةُ فَسْخٌ لَا تُنْقِصُ عَدَدَ الطَّلَاقِ، وَلَا يَجِبُ عِنْدَهَا شَيْءٌ مِنْ الْمَهْرِ إنْ وَقَعَتْ قَبْلَ الدُّخُولِ وَبَعْدَهُ لَهَا الْمُسَمَّى وَهَذَا بَعْدَ الْخَلْوَةِ الصَّحِيحَةِ، وَعَلَيْهَا الْعِدَّةُ وَلَهَا نَفَقَةُ الْعِدَّةِ لِأَنَّهَا كَانَتْ وَاجِبَةً فَتْحٌ، وَلَهَا أَنْ لَا تُمَكِّنُهُ مِنْ الْوَطْءِ حَتَّى يَرْضَى الْوَلِيُّ كَمَا اخْتَارَهُ الْفَقِيهُ أَبُو اللَّيْثِ لِأَنَّ الْوَلِيَّ عَسَى أَنْ يُفَرِّقَ فَيَصِيرَ وَطْءَ شُبْهَةٍ، وَأَمَّا عَلَى الْمُفْتَى بِهِ الْآتِي فَهُوَ حَرَامٌ لِعَدَمِ الِانْعِقَادِ أَفَادَهُ فِي الْبَحْرِ.
ص56 – كتاب حاشية ابن عابدين رد المحتار ط الحلبي – باب الولي – المكتبة الشاملة
(بِعَدَمِ جَوَازِهِ أَصْلًا) وَهُوَ الْمُخْتَارُ لِلْفَتْوَى (لِفَسَادِ الزَّمَانِ) فَلَا تَحِلُّ مُطَلَّقَةٌ ثَلَاثًا نَكَحَتْ غَيْرَ كُفْءٍ بِلَا رِضَا وَلِيٍّ بَعْدَ مَعْرِفَتِهِ إيَّاهُ فَلْيُحْفَظْ (وَ) بِنَاءً (عَلَى الْأَوَّلِ) وَهُوَ ظَاهِرُ الرِّوَايَةِ (فَرِضَا الْبَعْضِ) مِنْ الْأَوْلِيَاءِ قَبْلَ الْعَقْدِ أَوْ بَعْدَهُ (كَالْكُلِّ) لِثُبُوتِهِ لِكُلٍّ كَمُلَا كَوِلَايَةِ أَمَانٍ وَقَوَدٍ وَسَنُحَقِّقُهُ فِي الْوَقْفِ (لَوْ اسْتَوَوْا فِي الدَّرَجَةِ وَإِلَّا فَلِلْأَقْرَبِ) مِنْهُمْ
ص57 – كتاب حاشية ابن عابدين رد المحتار ط الحلبي – باب الولي – المكتبة الشاملة
Only Allah knows best.
Written by Aalimah Saleha Bukhari Islam
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
