Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah

Is a marriage valid with one muslim witness and one Christian witness?

· 26 Rajab 1433 AH1 min readFatwa 21202English

Question

A sister asks if a marriage being performed in front of a Muslim witness and a Christian witness is valid?

The condition of having 2 sane baligh male Muslim witnesses wouldn’t be satisfied, but I would like to have this confirmed by you as I have read a fatwa stating that the witnessing of two Christian when marrying a Christian woman is accepted.

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

If a Muslim male is marrying a Muslim female, it is necessary to have two sane mature male witnesses or one sane mature male and two sane mature female witnesses.

If a Muslim is marrying a Christian lady, the nikāh will be valid in the presence of one sane mature Muslim male and one Christian male.[1]

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Mawlana Faraz ibn Adam
Student Darul Iftaa
Leicester, United Kingdom

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

References (Arabic / Urdu sources)

[1] (وَ) شُرِطَ (حُضُورُ) شَاهِدَيْنِ (حُرَّيْنِ) أَوْ حُرٌّ وَحُرَّتَيْنِ (مُكَلَّفَيْنِ سَامِعَيْنِ قَوْلَهُمَا مَعًا) عَلَى الْأَصَحِّ (فَاهِمَيْنِ) أَنَّهُ نِكَاحٌ عَلَى الْمَذْهَبِ بَحْرٌ (مُسْلِمَيْنِ لِنِكَاحِ مُسْلِمَةٍ وَلَوْ فَاسِقَيْنِ أَوْ مَحْدُودَيْنِ فِي قَذْفٍ أَوْ أَعْمَيَيْنِ أَوْ ابْنَيْ الزَّوْجَيْنِ أَوْ ابْنَيْ أَحَدِهِمَا، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَثْبُتْ النِّكَاحُ بِهِمَا) بِالِابْنَيْنِ (إنْ ادَّعَى الْقَرِيبُ، كَمَا صَحَّ نِكَاحُ مُسْلِمٍ ذِمِّيَّةً عِنْدَ ذِمِّيَّيْنِ) (الدر المختار من حاشية ابن عابدين ج 3 ص 21-24 أيج أيم سعيد)

(قَوْلُهُ: لِنِكَاحِ مُسْلِمَةٍ) قَيْدٌ لِقَوْلِهِ مُسْلِمَيْنِ احْتِرَازًا عَنْ نِكَاحِ الذِّمِّيَّةِ فَإِنَّهُ لَوْ تَزَوَّجَهَا مُسْلِمٌ عِنْدَ ذِمِّيَّيْنِ صَحَّ كَمَا يَأْتِي لَكِنَّهُ يُوهِمُ أَنَّ مَا قَبْلَهُ مِنْ الشُّرُوطِ يُشْتَرَطُ فِي أَنْكِحَةِ الْكُفَّارِ أَيْضًا مَعَ أَنَّهَا تَصِحُّ بِغَيْرِ شُهُودٍ إذَا كَانُوا يَدِينُونَ ذَلِكَ كَمَا سَيَأْتِي فِي بَابِهِ، وَلِدَفْعِ ذَلِكَ قَالَ فِي الْهِدَايَةِ: وَلَا يَنْعَقِدُ نِكَاحُ الْمُسْلِمَيْنِ إلَّا بِحُضُورِ شَاهِدَيْنِ حُرَّيْنِ إلَخْ وَقَدْ يُجَابُ بِأَنَّ الْكَلَامَ فِي نِكَاحِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ بِدَلِيلِ أَنَّهُ سَيَعْقِدُ لِنِكَاحِ الْكَافِرِ بَابًا عَلَى حِدَةٍ. وَلَمَّا كَانَ تَزَوُّجُ الْمُسْلِمِ ذِمِّيَّةً لَا يُشْتَرَطُ فِيهِ إسْلَامُ الشَّاهِدَيْنِ احْتَرَزَ عَنْهُ بِقَوْلِهِ لِنِكَاحِ مُسْلِمَةٍ. (رد المحتار ج 3 ص 23 أيج أيم سعيد)

Answered by
Mawlana Faraz ibn Adam
Checked & approved by
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
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Source: Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah — https://askimam.org/public/question_detail/21202
Fatawa SA: https://fatawa.co.za/fatwa/askimam-21202

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