Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah

Nikāh with Non-Muslim Witnesses

· 8 Jumada I 1436 AH1 min readFatwa 32180English

Question

At the time of Ijaab and Qabool of a marriage in a marriage registration office, if there are only two non muslim witteneses will the marriage be Islamically valid?

Answer

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

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

In order for the nikāh between a Muslim man and woman to be valid, it is a condition that it be witnessed by at least two males, or one male and two females who are sane, mature, and Muslim.[1][2]

Therefore, in the enquired situation, the nikāh will not be valid.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Abdullah Ghadai

Student Darul Iftaa
Michigan, U.S.A

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

References (Arabic / Urdu sources)

[1]

العناية شرح الهداية (4/ 321)

قَالَ ( وَلَا يَنْعَقِدُ نِكَاحُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ إلَّا بِحُضُورِ شَاهِدَيْنِ حُرَّيْنِ عَاقِلَيْنِ بَالِغَيْنِ مُسْلِمَيْنِ رَجُلَيْنِ أَوْ رَجُلٍ وَامْرَأَتَيْنِ عُدُولًا كَانُوا أَوْ غَيْرَ عُدُولٍ أَوْ مَحْدُودِينَ فِي الْقَذْفِ ) اعْلَمْ أَنَّ الشَّهَادَةَ شَرْطٌ فِي بَابِ النِّكَاحِ لِقَوْلِهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ { لَا نِكَاحَ إلَّا بِشُهُودٍ } وَهُوَ حُجَّةٌ عَلَى مَالِكٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ فِي اشْتِرَاطِ الْإِعْلَانِ دُونَ الشَّهَادَةِ

[2] بدائع الصنائع في ترتيب الشرائع (2/ 253)

ومنها الإسلام في نكاح المسلم المسلمة فلا ينعقد نكاح المسلم المسلمة بشهادة الكفار؛ لأن الكافر ليس من أهل الولاية على المسلم قال الله تعالى {ولن يجعل الله للكافرين على المؤمنين سبيلا} [النساء: 141] وكذا لا يملك الكافر قبول نكاح المسلم ولو قضى قاض بشهادته على المسلم ينقض قضاؤه.

الاختيار لتعليل المختار (3/ 83)

وَلَا بُدَّ مِنِ اعْتِبَارِ الْإِسْلَامِ فِي نِكَاحِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ؛ لِعَدَمِ وِلَايَةِ الْكَافِرِ عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِ

Answered by
Abdullah Ghadai
Checked & approved by
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
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Source: Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah — https://askimam.org/public/question_detail/32180
Fatawa SA: https://fatawa.co.za/fatwa/askimam-32180

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