Fatwa #1367218 November 2005United Kingdom
sunni hanifi brother and will soon do nikah with a sunni hanafi girl, however she has shiia parents of the type who hate and curse some sahaba
Question
1) does he need the permission of her parents/walee for the nikah (her whole family i.e. all male relatives are of the same shiia kind) ?
2) must a local imaam be her walee or can the nikah be done without a walee ?
3) what are the conditions of nikah and can it be performed by any practising muslim man for them? (e.g. me) also tell me about the requirement of witnesses, can it be done without any?
thanks you for your time jaazaakallah
Answer
The boy and the girl do not require the permission of the girl’s parents to marry. The girl is an adult and her consent is sufficient.
A Nikah is performed with a proposal (Iejaab) by the male or female and acceptance (Qubool) by the male or female in the past tense and in the presence of two male Muslim witnesses (Hidaaya vol. 2).
It is Sunnat that the marriage be announced and performed in the Masjid and the bride be represented by her Mahram (father, brother, etc.). The bride gives consent to her representative (Wakeel) in the presence of two witnesses to perform her marriage at the Masjid. At the Masjid, the Wakeel represents the bride in the presence of the two witnesses and the stipulated dowry. The witnesses must be two trustworthy and pious male Muslims who are not her ascendants e.g. father, grandfather or decendants e.g. son, grandson, etc.
The Mahr (dowry) is the woman's right and should be stipulated prior to the marriage.
and Allah Ta'ala Knows Best
Mufti Ebrahim Desai