Fatwa ID: 09273
Answered by Mufti Yusuf Badshah
Question:
Salaam alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh
I’m a brother who is looking to get married soon inshaAllah, the nikkah would have to take place in an online format. I want to ensure that I’m going about it in the correct way. My question is what conditions need to be met in order to fulfil this online nikkah properly?
Just for reference, I reside in the UK and plan to get married to my fiancée in the US however the circumstances make it difficult for me to do the nikkah in person. I have visited her family recently to carry out the due diligence needed to move things forward. I’d argue that given the strong ties I have formed with her family there’s no room for any form of tampering to occur. Would I be able to, in this case, conduct it online under the following conditions: the qadi being available online on zoom, alongside the 2 witnesses also online and myself and either the bride or her wakil on the same online call, none of which would be in the same physical majlis but all would be present on the online call. The witnesses are trusted people from both sides of the family and there’s no risk of tampering. Would this be valid? Otherwise could it be done in such a way that I have a wakil represent me in the US, with the presence of the qadi, witnesses, and bride/her wakil in the same physical majlis? JazakAllah khair for your guidance. I look forward to hearing back inshaAllah.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
It will be permissible to conduct an online Nikah provided there are two witnesses [1], an agreed upon dowry of sufficient value [2], a proposal from you and the acceptance of that proposal by the other party or their Wali [3].
Only Allah ﷻ knows best.
Written by Mufti Yusuf Badshah
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
[1]
(وَ) شُرِطَ (حُضُورُ) شَاهِدَيْنِ (حُرَّيْنِ) أَوْ حُرٌّ وَحُرَّتَيْنِ (مُكَلَّفَيْنِ سَامِعَيْنِ قَوْلَهُمَا مَعًا) عَلَى الْأَصَحِّ (فَاهِمَيْنِ) أَنَّهُ نِكَاحٌ عَلَى الْمَذْهَبِ بَحْرٌ (مُسْلِمَيْنِ لِنِكَاحِ مُسْلِمَةٍ)
Raddul Muhtar, vol. 3, pg. 21-23, Darul Fikr
[2]
﴿وَٱلْمُحْصَنَـٰتُ مِنَ ٱلنِّسَآءِ إِلَّا مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَـٰنُكُمْ ۖ كِتَـٰبَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ ۚ وَأُحِلَّ لَكُم مَّا وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكُمْ أَن تَبْتَغُوا۟ بِأَمْوَٰلِكُم مُّحْصِنِينَ غَيْرَ مُسَـٰفِحِينَ ۚ فَمَا ٱسْتَمْتَعْتُم بِهِۦ مِنْهُنَّ فَـَٔاتُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ فَرِيضَةًۭ ۚ وَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِيمَا تَرَٰضَيْتُم بِهِۦ مِنۢ بَعْدِ ٱلْفَرِيضَةِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًۭا﴾
Surah An-Nisa 24
(أَقَلُّهُ عَشَرَةُ دَرَاهِمَ) لِحَدِيثِ الْبَيْهَقِيّ وَغَيْرِهِ «لَا مَهْرَ أَقَلُّ مِنْ عَشَرَةِ دَرَاهِمَ»
Raddul Muhtar, vol. 3, pg. 101, Darul Fikr
[3]
(وَيَنْعَقِدُ) مُتَلَبِّسًا (بِإِيجَابٍ) مِنْ أَحَدِهِمَا (وَقَبُولٍ) مِنْ الْآخِرِ
Raddul Muhtar, vol. 3, pg. 9, Darul Fikr
وَأَمَّا وِلَايَةُ النَّدْبِ وَالِاسْتِحْبَابِ فَهِيَ: الْوِلَايَةُ عَلَى الْحُرَّةِ الْبَالِغَةِ الْعَاقِلَةِ بِكْرًا كَانَتْ أَوْ ثَيِّبًا فِي قَوْلِ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ وَزُفَرَ وَقَوْلِ أَبِي يُوسُفَ الْأَوَّل
Bada’ius Sana’i, vol. 2, pg. 247, Darul Kutubul Ilmiyyah