Perform Nikah yourself?

Question

Salam,

There seems to be an issue I am discovering where when trying to find mosques who can perform a Nikah:

• they want witnesses (understandable).
• they want a civil wedding certificate first
• they don't have a form available to fill or take their time in getting back and never do get back!

The problem is, I don't have any Muslim friends or relatives who are nearby who can be witnesses. Furthermore, I wouldn't want a civil marriage first to get a certificate in order to then do a Nikah. Some Mosques also take their time in terms of getting back and providing a form for the Nikah or you have to wait 3 months+!

I am wondering is there an alternative to perform a Nikah which will be accepted Islamically and correctly?

Answer 1

First of all if you are living in a non-Mulsim country you are asked as a Muslim to follow the rules of the country and follow your shari'a too.

This means if for a marriage a civil marriage is necessary than this would be your first step you should do. Marry your girl a civil marriage, you both know that this isn't a legal marriage according Islam, but a needed step (I know of Mulsim countries accepting such a certificate) as even there you usually would need witnesses. For example: One of my sisters lately got married in Denmark and the register office provided two old ladies as witnesses (but there were enough Muslim witnesses too). Once this is done you should go to the mosque and show them the certificate and ask them if they could provide witnesses!

For an nikah that is accepted you need the following:

• Bride and Bridegroom
• A guardian for the lady (or an agent of the guardian), if she doesn't have the Imam of the mosque should be asked to play this role (this means he wouldn't count as witness) (needed because of this hadith and see also this one).

• Two (Muslim male) witnesses (or equivalent: for each man two women) (based on 2:282 as nikah is a kind of contract).

  ... And bring to witness two witnesses from among your men. And if there are not two men [available], then a man and two women from those whom you accept as witnesses - so that if one of the women errs, then the other can remind her. And let not the witnesses refuse when they are called upon. ...

  there's also a hadith in Musnad Ahmad saying:

  “There is no marriage except with a Waly, and two witnesses. The marriage is void otherwise. If they conflict, the Sultan is the Waly for whomever there is no Waly.”

• Specify a mahr or sadaq (4:4)

  And give the women [upon marriage] their [bridal] gifts graciously. ...

Note that for the nikah to be valid the guardian must give his accordance to marry the woman he is in charge of to the bridegrooom, and the bride must confirm this at least.
So as you see there's no legal way to perform nikah yourself.

Answer 2

You can marry in a Registrar Office as an official wedding according to your country. Sorry I am from India. here one can marry in Registrar office where government gives you the official certificate to your marriage. But according to Islam's law. There should be a witness from the Bride's side like father or guardian, who accepts the marriage. In Islam, Marriage is a life-time contract between the bride and the groom. There is no specific way to do a Muslim's marriage taught by Prophet Muhammed(pbuh). You can just Marry with the Bride's full acceptance and the Bride's side witness. But this type of marriage doesn't accepted by the government. So you should favor the Government by your country's law.

And the Groom should give the Bride her Money (Mahar) --Qur'aan 4:4

And the Goorm should give a Feast (Valimaa) in His money.

And the Marriage should be very simple.