Is a marriage contracted without witnesses and without the family's knowledge valid in Islamic law, and must I give her the Qur'an and divorce her if she insists on separation?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
The aforementioned marriage is invalid due to the absence of the legal conditions such as a guardian (wali) and two witnesses. The agreed-upon dowry (mahr) must be paid, unless the woman waives it. What transpired is not a legal marriage; rather, it is fornication (sifah). One must repent to Allah and sever ties with the woman. If you wish to be legally bound to her, you must seek her hand from her guardian. (prayer for guidance) is not permissible for a forbidden relationship.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/88503
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 88503
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy