Fatwa ID: 08959
Answered by Maulana Abdurrahman Persaud
Question:
Assalamu Alaikum Mufti Sahab,
I would like to ask a few important questions regarding the validity of a nikah (Islamic marriage):
A woman and a man were communicating through text messages. During the conversation, the man asked the woman:
“Shall I perform nikah with you?”
The woman replied with “Yes” or “Okay” (in text).
Later, the man, in the presence of two adult Muslim male witnesses, said:
“I accept the nikah of [name] daughter of [father’s name] with a mahr (dowry) of 10,000 rupees.”
In this case, would the nikah be considered valid according to Islamic law?
If not, how should the man correctly pronounce the nikah offer and acceptance in front of witnesses to ensure the nikah is valid?
Secondly, is it necessary for the woman’s consent to be taken through a phone call, audio message, or video call?
Or is it sufficient for her to give consent through a text message, provided that she clearly expresses her approval?
Thirdly, if a woman gives someone permission (as a wakeel/representative) to conduct her nikah on her behalf—but does so jokingly or not seriously—would that permission be considered valid in Islamic terms?
Similarly, if the “ijab or qubool” (offer and acceptance) are done in a playful or joking manner, would the nikah still be considered valid?
Kindly clarify the Islamic rulings on all of the above points.
Jazakum Allahu Khayran.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Nikah is a great and revered practice in Islam.
Allah ﷻ says in the glorious Quran surah 24, verse 32:
“Marry off the free singles among you, as well as the righteous of your bondmen and bondwomen. If they are poor, Allah will enrich them out of His bounty. For Allah is All-Bountiful, All-Knowing.”
According to Hanafi fiqh, there are four conditions that are needed to validate a nikah.
These conditions need to be done simultaneously in the same gathering with both parties consenting in front of two witnesses.[1]
- An offer/proposal is made by one of the two parties, and the other accepts it. [2]
It is to be noted that when the proposal and acceptance are carried out, the words should be both in the past tense or at least one, either the proposal or acceptance can be past tense, while the other should be in the present or future tense. - The presence of two witnesses.[3]
Two males or one male and two females that are sane, mature, and Muslims must be present in person for both the proposal and acceptance.
It should be noted that nikah needs to happen in the same gathering/sitting (iti’haad-ul-majlis),
So much so that if one makes the proposal and the other leaves, then comes back to answer, then the process needs to restart so the proposal, acceptance, and witnessing have to be done in the same gathering/sitting.
- The agreed-upon amount of dowry (mahr).[4]
- Permission of the guardian of the woman for her marriage.[5]
In the above-mentioned scenario, the nikah would not be valid, since one of the main components of nikah is to have two male witnesses or one male and two females the time of the proposal and acceptance, the witnesses should be in the same location where the proposal and acceptance is done. Since this condition is not met, the nikah will not be contracted.
In this scenario, a representative must be appointed to act on behalf of either the woman or the man. I, Abdul Gaffar, authorize [name of the representative] to contract my nikah on my behalf with Sister Fatima for a mahr of $XXXX. The representative will proceed with two witnesses—either two males or one male and two females—to declare on my behalf: “On behalf of Abdul Gaffar, I marry him to Sister Fatima for a mahr of $XXXX.” Sister Fatima will then confirm her acceptance of the marriage: “I accept this marriage.”
As for the second question on consent, it can be divided into 2 categories:
- Consent of Wakala (appointing a representative)
- Consent of Ijaaba (acceptance of the Nikah)
Her consent of wakala (appointing a representative) does not need to be witnessed when she gives it to her wakeel (representative) or wali (guardian) and can be done in any form, written, phone call, or audio, but it would be better if witnessed as to remove any doubt as to being a forced nikah.[5]
As for the consent of Ijaab of a woman, it must be given in the presence of the two witnesses with all parties present and consenting in the same sitting/gathering.Sending a text message would fall short of fulfilling (1) the consent being Itihaad-ul-majlis (same sitting/gathering) and (2) the witnesses being able to witness the consent, since these 2 conditions must be fulfilled a mere text message would not suffice to contract the nikah.
The consent of Ijaab can be given through a written form providing it was done in the same gathering/sitting with the witnesses being present, and all parties consenting if the woman finds it too hard speak or too shy to consent.
With regards to the third question, nikah is a serious matter and of great reverence. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Three things are binding regardless of when expressed seriously or jokingly: marriage, divorce, and returning after a divorce.” [6]
If, for example, in a school play, they demonstrated a Muslim procedure of nikah with all the requirements fulfilled, then the marriage becomes binding. One has to be very careful about how they get involved in nikah and divorce.
Appointing a wakeel, making a proposal or acceptance jokingly will be binding if the four principles are found to validate a nikah; the nikah will be contracted even if done jokingly.
Only Allah ﷻ knows best.
Written by Maulana Abdurrahman Persaud
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
[1]
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.
ص232 – كتاب بدائع الصنائع في ترتيب الشرائع – فصل شرائط الركن أنواع منها شرط الانعقاد – المكتبة الشاملة
الرابط:https://shamela.ws/book/8183/555#p12
النكاح ينعقد بالإيجاب والقبول بلفظين يعبر بهما عن الماضي أو يعبر بأحدهما عن الماضي وبالآخر عن المستقبل مثل أن يقول: زوجتي فيقول زوجتك
ص145 – كتاب مختصر القدوري – كتاب النكاح – المكتبة الشاملة
الرابط:https://shamela.ws/book/124336/135#p2
[2]
ولا يعقد نكاح المسلمين إلا بحضور شاهدين حرين بالغين عاقلين مسلمين أو رجل
ص145 – كتاب مختصر القدوري – كتاب النكاح – المكتبة الشاملة
الرابط:https://shamela.ws/book/124336/135#p3
[3]
﴿وَآتُوا النِّسَاءَ صَدُقَاتِهِنَّ نِحْلَةً ۚ فَإِن طِبْنَ لَكُمْ عَن شَيْءٍ مِّنْهُ نَفْسًا فَكُلُوهُ هَنِيئًا مَّرِيئًا﴾[Text Wrapping Break]النساء [4]
[4]
عَنْ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ بن أَبِي مُوسَى عن أبيه قَالَ، قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَا نِكَاحَ إِلَّا بِوَلِيٍّ
Ahmad, 19518.
[5]
وَإِنْ لَمْ يَنْوِ يُنْصَرَفُ إلَى مِلْكِ الرَّقَبَةِ – وَاَللَّهُ ﷿ أَعْلَمُ – ثُمَّ النِّكَاحُ كَمَا يَنْعَقِدُ بِهَذِهِ الْأَلْفَاظِ بِطَرِيقِ الْأَصَالَةِ يَنْعَقِدُ بِهَا بِطَرِيقِ النِّيَابَةِ، بِالْوَكَالَةِ، وَالرِّسَالَةِ؛ لِأَنَّ تَصَرُّفَ الْوَكِيلِ كَتَصَرُّفِ الْمُوَكِّلِ، وَكَلَامَ الرَّسُولِ كَلَامُ الْمُرْسِلِ، وَالْأَصْلُ فِي جَوَازِ الْوَكَالَةِ فِي بَابِ النِّكَاحِ مَا رُوِيَ أَنَّ النَّجَّاشِيَّ زَوَّجَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ أُمَّ حَبِيبَةَ ﵂ فَلَا يَخْلُو ذَلِكَ إمَّا أَنْ فَعَلَهُ بِأَمْرِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَوْ لَا بِأَمْرِهِ، فَإِنْ فَعَلَهُ بِأَمْرِهِ فَهُوَ وَكِيلُهُ، وَإِنْ فَعَلَهُ بِغَيْرِ أَمْرِهِ فَقَدْ أَجَازَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ عَقْدَهُ وَالْإِجَازَةُ اللَّاحِقَةُ كَالْوَكَالَةِ السَّابِقَةِ، وَكَمَا يَنْعَقِدُ النِّكَاحُ بِالْعِبَارَةِ يَنْعَقِدُ بِالْإِشَارَةِ مِنْ الْأَخْرَسِ إذَا كَانَتْ إشَارَتُهُ مَعْلُومَةً وَيَنْعَقِدُ بِالْكِتَابَةِ؛ لِأَنَّ الْكِتَابَ مِنْ الْغَائِبِ خِطَابُهُ – وَاَللَّهُ تَعَالَى أَعْلَمُ -.