Is it Permissible to Have a Nikah Before a Man Can Provide?
Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad
Question
I recently did the istikhara prayer for marriage. We are both currently studying and want to go about things the right way. Alhamdullilah, we both are trying to take the right means by getting parents involved and resolving future considerations, but he has 2-3 years left before he can get a job. Is there any halal way to go about doing this, or is nikah impermissible unless the man can provide? Is this hindrance a sign, or should I wait and see?
Answer
Thank you for your question. It is absolutely not a hindrance sign that your suitor is still studying. Rather, he is taking the right steps to provide for you when he is able, and he plans to do a good job of it. May Allah reward you both for striving to marry the right way.
Nikah
It is perfectly permissible for a man and woman to have a nikah before he is able to provide. It is obligatory on him to support her, but if both parties understand and agree that he will get there in a few years, they may proceed by making other arrangements for support. For example, the parents may help them in the meanwhile, or they can move in together a little later.
If your parents have agreed to this marriage and your istikhara is positive, I recommend that you make arrangements to have a nikah as soon as possible to make your relationship halal in speaking and spending time together. It will take big stress off your shoulders if you know that you are not sinning by seeing him, joking with him, or crossing lines of gender interaction.
Please see this link about a man’s financial obligations:
Fiqh of Financially Supporting one’s Parents and Relatives
May Allah reward you in this life and the next and facilitate this matter for you in the best way.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafseer, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She recently moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.
