Is it permissible to scatter dates over the guests at a nikah?
Summary
The asker wanted to know whether scattering dates over people at a nikah is permissible. Maulana Abid Attari Madani answered that it is permissible, citing a report that the Prophet had dates scattered at some marriages and that Imam Abu Hanifa saw no harm in the practice. The answer says taking the scattered items is fine when the host allows it, and notes that Ibn Abi Layla disliked it on analogy, a view the answer sets aside because of the reports and common custom. It adds two cautions: since nikahs are often held in mosques, doing it there would breach the mosque's etiquette, and dates should not be thrown where they will be trampled or wasted in drains or mud.
More marriage questions
Would a nikah with a Christian woman who accepts his conditions be valid, and is it advisable?
A man asked whether his nikah would be valid with a woman from his workplace who was raised Buddhist, became Christian five years ago, and agrees to no alcohol or pork at home, halal food only and a Muslim upbringing for the children. The respected scholar known as the Ifta Research Fellow, with the answer checked by Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera and Mufti Zubair Patel, replied that the nikah would be valid if she is Christian in her own belief and not merely through her parents, and that her earlier Buddhism does not change this. The answer adds that marrying a Christian woman while living in a non-Muslim country is makruh tahrimi, a grade it describes as close to haram. It warns that promises made before marriage can be hard to keep, for example the home may later drift on alcohol, and that couples often disagree about raising children once they arrive. It notes that if the couple separate the children may end up raised outside Islam, so it does not recommend this marriage.
Read the full fatwa on IslamQA.orgThis is a brief summary for reference only. Read the full answer at the source, and consult a qualified scholar about your own situation. Scholars and schools of thought may differ on some questions. Nikkup does not issue fatwas.
Is it permissible for a Muslim woman to marry a man raised Muslim who does not pray?
A woman asked whether she may marry a man who was raised Muslim but does not pray. Mufti Ebrahim Desai answered that in choosing a spouse the most important quality to look for is religiousness and good character, and that other considerations come second. The answer reasons that someone who neglects the rights of his Lord is unlikely to fulfil the rights of his wife. It cites the hadith that a woman is married for her religion, wealth and beauty, and advises choosing the one with religion, and it advises against marrying a person who does not pray, because spouses should help each other practise Islam, and the wife may become lax herself. The answer is framed as advice, not a ruling on validity.
Read the full fatwa on askimam.orgThis is a brief summary for reference only. Read the full answer at the source, and consult a qualified scholar about your own situation. Scholars and schools of thought may differ on some questions. Nikkup does not issue fatwas.
Is a nikah valid if the officiant never said 'I have given her to you' but asked the groom if he accepted?
A woman asked whether her nikah is valid, since the officiant told the groom that he had given the bride's name in marriage with her father's permission and a stated mahr, then asked if he accepted, without using the words 'to you'. The respected scholar, an Ifta Research Fellow at FatwaCentre.org, answered that the nikah is valid. The offer was directed at the groom and everyone present understood his reply as acceptance. The answer relies on a statement from Ibn Abidin's commentary that a mistake in naming is harmless when the person is present and pointed to, because pointing identifies someone more reliably than a name. It does not discuss other wordings.
Read the full fatwa on IslamQA.orgThis is a brief summary for reference only. Read the full answer at the source, and consult a qualified scholar about your own situation. Scholars and schools of thought may differ on some questions. Nikkup does not issue fatwas.
