This was not an Islamic wedding but there was one Muslim that attended

Question

My wife and I originally married before converting to Islam. We didn't tell most of our family because we had intended on doing a larger wedding at a later point and did this mainly for paperwork reasons. We then found Islam and on the day we converted expected to marry again. The Imam asked us if we were married already and we had said yes but we wanted to get married again as Muslims. He asked us if we marry each other and we said yes. He was the only witness there at that moment. I had also given her the Mahr on the previous day and she had accepted.

The Imam then announced to the people at the Mosque that we had converted and were married. At this point we still did not tell most of our family. Some months later we had a larger wedding for our family. This was not an Islamic wedding but there was one Muslim that attended. After reading information about the fiqh of Marriage (having 2 witnesses, a wali, etc) I had some doubts as to whether our marriage was valid. Jazakallah Khair.

Ml. Asif Umar · Accepted Answer

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

There are two main issues to address within your query:

a) Status of marriage after reverting to Islam
b) Non-Islamic wedding

a) If a non-Muslim couple gets married and eventually ends up accepting Islam together, their marriage is recognized and intact. There is no need to remarry and perform a nikah after accepting Islam.

b) It is not permissible to participate in a wedding ceremony which is against the teachings and rulings of Islam. The Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Salaam) has warned the believers to abstain from the practices of the disbelievers. Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) has said in a Hadith:

"Whosoever resembles a people or nation, he is one of them." (Sunan Abi Dawud)

Abstaining from tashbeeh (imitating, resembling) of the disbelievers includes keeping away from their customs, habits, behaviors, celebrated festivals etc. Almost all non-Islamic weddings include things which are totally forbidden in Islamic Law, such as music and intermingling of the sexes.

It would have been advisable if you informed your family beforehand about your conversion to Islam. That way, the non-Islamic wedding could have been avoided. Nevertheless, since it already occurred, it is necessary to seek the forgiveness of Allah Ta'ala by making istighfaar and by making sincere repentance (tawbah). Allah Ta'ala is surely the Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.

(Al-Hidayah, 2/344-345, Maktabah Shirkah)

(Darrul Mukhtar, 3/184, HM Saeed)

(Al-Bahr al-Raaiq, 3/207, Rashidiyya)

(Fathul Qadeer, 3/283, Rashidiyya)

(Tabyeen al-Haqaaiq, Vol. 2, Ilmiyyah)

(Badaai' al-Sanaai', 2/614, Darul Kitab)

And Allah knows best

Wassalam

Ml. Asif Umar,
Student Darul Iftaa

Checked and Approved by:

Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa

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