Is the presence of two marriage witnesses required, or is it sufficient to contact them by phone, especially if the groom fears hardship in a non-Islamic country and has brought witnesses from among the People of the Book?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
The majority of scholars stipulate for the validity of the contract the presence of two upright witnesses who hear the offer and acceptance. The contract is not valid except in the presence of two witnesses, whether their presence was intentional or coincidental. Merely contacting them is not sufficient. Islam is a condition for a witness, therefore the testimony of two men from the People of the Book is not accepted in marriage, even if the person is in a non-Muslim country.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/135675
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 135675
- 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