Performing Nikah without Khutbah

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

In principle, a Nikah is valid according to Shari’ah if an offer (Ijaab) and acceptance (Qabul) of marriage occurs in the presence of two adult male witnesses or one male and two females.

Furthermore, it was the Sunnah of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) to perform Khutbah before commencing the Nikah. Consider the following Hadith:

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ قَالَ: عَلَّمَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وسلم التَّشَهُّدَ فِي الصَّلَاةِ، وَالتَّشَهُّدَ فِي الْحَاجَةِ قَالَ: التَّشَهُّدُ فِي الصَّلَاةِ: "التَّحِيَّاتُ لِلَّهِ وَالصَّلَوَاتُ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ، السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ، السَّلَامُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ اللَّهِ الصَّالِحِينَ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ" وَالتَّشَهُّدُ فِي الْحَاجَةِ: "أَنِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ و نَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ، وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا، مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ، وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ" وَيَقْرأُ، ثَلَاثَ آيَاتٍ

Translation: Abdullah Ibn Masud (Radhyallahu Anhu) narrated that The Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) taught us the Tashahhud for Salah and the Tashahhud upon Al-Hajah. He said: 'The Tashahhud upon the occasion of marriage is: (Praise be to Allah, we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allah from the evil of our own souls. Whomsoever Allah guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allah leaves astray, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger).' Then he recited three Verses…

Leaving out the Khutbah is contrary to the Sunnah of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam). Nikah is an auspicious occasion and practicing upon the Sunnah is a guaranteed method of obtaining maximum Barakah. 

Nevertheless, if the Nikah was performed without a Khutbah, then provided the other conditions of Nikah were fulfilled, the Nikah will be valid.[1]

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Hasan Ahmed Razzak

Student – Darul Iftaa

Paterson, New Jersey, USA

Checked and Approved by,

Mufti Ebrahim Desai