Is a Marriage (Nikah) Valid in the Presence of a Group of People?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
Is it necessary for the witnesses to be singled out as witnesses, such that they know they are witnesses for the bride, or is the marriage still valid if a group of adults related to the bride and groom is present without any specific mention of who the witnesses are? For example, if the bride and groom go to the mosque with parents and siblings from both sides and there are more than ten people present, will that marriage be valid without anyone knowing who the actual witnesses are, or if the witnesses themselves are unaware that they are a witness?
If the bride is present at the time of marriage, can the bride’s father, baligh brother, and uncle be witnesses? Can the groom’s father, brother, sister, etc., be witnesses?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question.
The marriage is still valid if the marriage ceremony (nikah) was performed in the presence of people with offer and acceptance heard by them.
Most Important Matter in a Marriage Ceremony
The most important matter in a marriage contract ceremony is the presence of two males or one male witness and two female witnesses to witness the marriage.
This is why if the bride and groom just offer and accept by presenting themselves to a valid number and gender of witnesses or a mixed group of people, the marriage will be valid.
Marriage is concluded and contracted with the offer and acceptance in the presence of two male witnesses or one male and two female witnesses. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar; Maydani, al-Lubab fi Sharh al-Kitab]
Related:
- Etiquette of Marriage: A Comprehensive SeekersGuidance Reader
- Love, Marriage and Relationships in Islam: All Your Questions Answered
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I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally trained scholar who has studied in the UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, and Turkey. He started his early education in the UK. He went on to complete the hifz of the Quran in India, then enrolled in an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied the secular and ‘Aalimiyya sciences. He then traveled to Karachi, Pakistan. He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for several years. He has taught hifz of the Quran, Tajwid, Fiqh, and many other Islamic sciences to children and adults onsite and online extensively in the UK and Ireland. He taught at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK, where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences. He currently resides in the UK with his wife. His interest is a love of books and gardening.
