Is marriage without the knowledge of the family, whether customary or official, valid, and what should be done if the marriage has occurred and it is impossible to inform the family?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
The majority of scholars hold that a woman's marriage without her guardian's (wali) permission is invalid, whereas Imam Abu Hanifa deems it valid. If a judge conducts the marriage contract or rules it to be valid, then it is valid and enforceable. However, if "family" refers to the woman's relatives other than her guardian, then the validity of the marriage does not depend on their knowledge.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/112998
Where this answer came from
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- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 112998
- 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