Can I Get Married Through a Video Call? (Hanbali)

Answered by Shaykh Sulayman Van Ael

Question: Assalam alaykum,

I have met a girl online and she embraced Islam through me.

We married online on a video call with a proposal and acceptance and we have fixed a dowry.

Are we really married?

Answer: Dear questioner about online marriage

Conditions

There are some conditions that have to be present if one speaks about an Islamic marriage:

1. A mahram

2. Rida and qabul (that both parties agree)

3. Mahr (dowry)

4. Witness

5. Making the marriage known

Not valid

It seems to me that the way you did it is not sufficiently right to call this a marriage.

What you should do

You should look for an Islamic center in your neighbourhood and ask them if they want to marry you and look for a man (imam/khateeb/scholar) that wants to fulfill the role of a (mahram). People should witness this and the marriage should be made public and the mahr should be given. And I advice you to register your marriage at the local authorities as this is a form of protection these days against evil minds and people that do not want to take their responsibilities. (Advice from Sh. az-Zuhaylee)

EXTRA

Parents of a new muslima and marriage

One of the mistakes a lot of people make is not to involve the parents of a new muslima. They do not take them into consideration. It is true that there is no wilaya, but it is false to think that one should not talk to the parents and involve them in the marriage. They are the parents of that particular lady. So it is the source of wisdom to talk to them and to get to know them.

Wassalam
[Shaykh] Sulayman Van Ael

Shaykh Sulayman Van Ael received ijazah from various luminaries in the ten Qur’anic readings, in Ihya Ulum al-Din, in the major books of hadith, in different texts in Guelph classical Islamic sciences–including grammar, tafsir, fiqh, and usul.