Is a Marriage between the two Eids Unlawful?

Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam
Question: Assalamu alaykum,
I hope you are in the best of faith and health.
I keep hearing from people in my community that drawing up a marriage contract (katb kitab) between the two `id festivals is not recommended, disliked and some have even gone far enough to say that is unlawful.
If I can get more information about this, it would be greatly appreciated and may God bless you and your teachers for answering.
Answer: Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,
I pray that you are well, insha’Allah.
It is permitted to marry between the two eids, and there is no dislikedness in it whatsoever.
Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam writes, “In fact, many scholars are of the opinion that it is actually recommended to marry in the month of Shawwal , which falls in between the two Eids, since the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) married Sayyida A’isha (may Allah be pleased with her) in this month.
Sayyida A’isha (may Allah be pleased with her) relates: “The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) contracted marriage with me in [the month of] Shawwal and took me to his house as a bride in Shawwal. And who among the wives of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) was dearer to him than me?” (Sahih Muslim, no: 1423)
After recording this Hadith under the heading: “Chapter on the recommendation of marrying or being married off in the month of Shawwal, and the recommendation of consummating the marriage in this month”, Imam Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) states in his commentary of Sahih Muslim:
“This Hadith indicates the recommendation of marrying, being married off and consummating the marriage during Shawwal. Indeed our scholars have clearly stipulated its recommendation and have substantiated it from this Hadith. A’isha’s (may Allah be pleased with her) intention by this statement was to refute the custom of the days of ignorance (jahiliyya) and what some of the ignorant believe today that marrying, being married off and consummating the marriage is disliked during Shawwal. This notion is baseless and has no Islamic source to it…” (Al-Minhaj Sharh Sahih Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj, P: 1068)” [see:Avoiding Marriage between the two Eids]
And Allah alone gives success.
wassalam,
Tabraze Azam
Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani