Is an online marriage invalid if it took place without a guardian (wali) and witnesses, is what occurred between the two parties, such as intimacy via voice, considered zina (fornication/adultery), and what are the legal rulings that result from such a marriage?

There is no contradiction between the invalidity of a marriage without a guardian (wali) or witnesses, and the obligation to annul or divorce in such a case. This is because a marriage whose invalidity is disputed must be dissolved by annulment or divorce. The claim by Al-Azhar that marriage without a guardian or witnesses is valid is questionable, as such a marriage is invalid by consensus of the imams.

An ordinary person should ask scholars and act upon their fatwas, and should not move between muftis in search of concessions. We advise consulting the Sharia court to resolve the issue.