Marriage in Islam

In Islamic law, marriage involves nikah (Arabic: نِكَاح, romanized: nikāḥ, lit. 'sex') the agreement to the marriage contract (ʿaqd al-qirān, nikah nama, etc.), or more specifically, the bride's acceptance (qubul) of the groom's dower (mahr), and the witnessing of her acceptance.^[1] In addition, there are several other traditional steps such as khitbah (preliminary meeting(s) to get to know the other party and negotiate terms), walimah (marriage feast), zifaf/rukhsati ("sending off" of bride and groom).^[2]

In addition to the requirement that a formal, binding contract – either verbal or on paper^[3] – of rights and obligations for both parties be drawn up, there are a number of other rules for marriage in Islam: among them that there be witnesses to the marriage, a gift from the groom to the bride known as a mahr, that both the groom and the bride freely consent to the marriage; that the groom can be married to more than one woman (a practice known as polygyny) but no more than four, that the women can be married to no more than one man, developed (according to Islamic sources) from the Quran, (the holy book of Islam) and hadith (the passed down saying and doings of the Islamic prophet Muhammad). Divorce is permitted in Islam and can take a variety of forms, some executed by a husband personally and some executed by a religious court on behalf of a plaintiff wife who is successful in her legal divorce petition for valid cause.

In addition to the usual marriage intended for raising families, the Twelver branch of Shia Islam permits^[4]^[5]^: 242^[6] zawāj al-mut'ah or "temporary", fixed-term marriage;^[7]^: 1045 and some Sunni Islamic scholars^[8]^[9]^[10] permit nikah misyar marriage, which lacks some conditions such as living together. A nikah 'urfi, "customary" marriage, is one not officially registered with state authorities.

Traditional marriage in Islam has been criticized (by modernist Muslims) and defended (by traditionalist Muslims) for allowing polygamy and easy divorce.^[11]

^ Glasse, Cyril (2001) [1989]. "Marriage". The New Encyclopedia of Islam (Revised ed.). AltaMira Press. p. 296.
^ en-asks (2006-07-13). "Marriage Steps in Islam - Fiqh". IslamOnline. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
^ "Getting Married". Archived from the original on 2018-10-04. Retrieved 2018-10-04.
^ Berg, H. "Method and theory in the study of Islamic origins". Archived 2016-05-09 at the Wayback Machine Brill 2003 ISBN 9004126023, 9789004126022. Accessed at Google Books 15 March 2014.
^ Hughes, T. "A Dictionary of Islam." Archived 2016-04-23 at the Wayback Machine Asian Educational Services 1 December 1995. Accessed 15 April 2014.
^ Pohl, F. "Muslim world: modern Muslim societies". Archived 2016-06-24 at the Wayback Machine Marshall Cavendish, 2010. ISBN 0761479279, 1780761479277. pp. 47–53.
^ Wehr, Hans. Hans Wehr Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic: a compact version of the internationally recognized fourth edition. Ed. JM Cowan. New York: Spoken Language Services, Inc., 1994. Archived 2017-06-19 at the Wayback Machine. Print.
^ "Misyar now a widespread reality". Arab News. 12 October 2014. Archived from the original on 2017-02-18. In a misyar marriage the woman waives some of the rights she would enjoy in a normal marriage. Most misyar brides don't change their residences but pursue marriage on a visitation basis.
^ Elhadj, Elie (2006). The Islamic Shield: Arab Resistance to Democratic and Religious Reforms. Universal Publishers. p. 51. ISBN 978-1-59942-411-8.
^ "Misyar Marriage". Al-Raida (92–99). Beirut University College, Institute for Women's Studies in the Arab World: 58. 2001.
^ Philips, Abu Amernah Bilal; Jones, Jameelah (1999). Polygamy in Islam. Tawheed publications. p. 14. Retrieved 16 May 2025.

[cyrill_glasse-296-1] Glasse, Cyril (2001) [1989]. "Marriage". The New Encyclopedia of Islam (Revised ed.). AltaMira Press. p. 296.

[2] -asks (2006-07-13). "Marriage Steps in Islam - Fiqh". IslamOnline. Retrieved 2024-03-31.

[nikah101-3] "Getting Married". Archived from the original on 2018-10-04. Retrieved 2018-10-04.

[IslamicOrigins-4] Berg, H. "Method and theory in the study of Islamic origins". Archived 2016-05-09 at the Wayback Machine Brill 2003 ISBN 9004126023, 9789004126022. Accessed at Google Books 15 March 2014.

[IslamDictionary-5] Hughes, T. "A Dictionary of Islam." Archived 2016-04-23 at the Wayback Machine Asian Educational Services 1 December 1995. Accessed 15 April 2014.

[Pohl_(2010)-6] Pohl, F. "Muslim world: modern Muslim societies". Archived 2016-06-24 at the Wayback Machine Marshall Cavendish, 2010. ISBN 0761479279, 1780761479277. pp. 47–53.

[Wehr-compact-1994-1045-7] Wehr, Hans. Hans Wehr Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic: a compact version of the internationally recognized fourth edition. Ed. JM Cowan. New York: Spoken Language Services, Inc., 1994. Archived 2017-06-19 at the Wayback Machine. Print.

[ArabNews12102024-8] "Misyar now a widespread reality". Arab News. 12 October 2014. Archived from the original on 2017-02-18. In a misyar marriage the woman waives some of the rights she would enjoy in a normal marriage. Most misyar brides don't change their residences but pursue marriage on a visitation basis.

[9] Elhadj, Elie (2006). The Islamic Shield: Arab Resistance to Democratic and Religious Reforms. Universal Publishers. p. 51. ISBN 978-1-59942-411-8.

[10] "Misyar Marriage". Al-Raida (92–99). Beirut University College, Institute for Women's Studies in the Arab World: 58. 2001.

[PiI-Philips-Jones-1999-14-11] Philips, Abu Amernah Bilal; Jones, Jameelah (1999). Polygamy in Islam. Tawheed publications. p. 14. Retrieved 16 May 2025.

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Marriage in Islam

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