Darulifta Ahlesunnat
(Dawateislami)
Question
What do the noble scholars and jurists of Islamic law say about the following: Can you purchase a lady and do Nikah with her?
بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ
اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ
Bay’ (sale) of a free person, whether male or female, is Batil (invalid) because Bay’ involves the exchange of Maal (an asset) with another Maal, and a free person is not Maal. Therefore, since a free woman is not Maal, selling her is Batil (invalid). Consequently, purchasing a woman for marriage is unlawful, Haram, and a sin. It is absolutely not permissible under any circumstances. If such a transaction is merely symbolic and the real intention is to give money to the girl’s family, at their request, in exchange for marriage, even in that case, demanding money for marriage by the bride’s parents and for the groom or his family to give it is also unlawful, Haram, and sinful. The jurists have classified this as bribery, and any money taken in this manner does not belong to the one who takes it. Instead, it remains the property of the giver and must be returned. However, in both cases, if one has Nikah with a woman in this way, then although he will be sinful, the marriage itself will still be valid, provided that all the necessary conditions of Nikah are fulfilled, and it will not affect the validity of the marriage.
It is mentioned in Sahih Bukhari:
عن أبی هريرة رضی اللہ عنه، عن النبی صلى اللہ عليه و سلم، قال: قال اللہ تعالی : ثلاثۃ انا خصمھم یوم القیامۃ رجل اعطی بی ثم غدر، و رجل باع حرا فأكل ثمنہ، و رجل استاجر اجیرا فاستوفی منہ و لم یعطہ اجرہ
Translation: Hazrat Abu Hurairah رضی اللہ عنہ narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Allah عزوجل has declared: “There are three types of people against whom I will stand as an opponent on the Day of Judgment: The one who made an oath in my name and then broke it, the one who sold a free person and consumed the payment, and the one who hired a worker, took full service from him, but didn’t pay him."
(Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 3, Book of Transactions, Chapter Sin of Selling a Free Person, Pg. 82, Hadith No. 2227, Publ. Dar Tauq al-Najah)
In the explanation of this blessed hadith, Allamah Badr-Uddin ‘Ayni رحمہ اللہ تعالی علیہ states:
و من باع حرا فقد منعہ التصرف فیما اباح اللہ تعالی لہ و الزمہ حال الذلۃ و الصغار، فھو ذنب عظیم ینازع اللہ تعالی بہ فی عبادہ
Translation: Whoever sells a free person has deprived them of the freedoms and rights that Allah has allowed them. By doing so, he has subjected the individual to humiliation and degradation. This act is a grave sin. It is as if such a person is disputing with Allah Almighty regarding His servants.
(Umdah Al-Qari Sharh Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 12, Pg. 42, Publ. Dar Ihya Al-Turath Al-Arabiy, Beirut)
Regarding the invalidity of selling a free person, Allamah Burhan-Uddin Ali Bin Abu Bakr Al-Farghani رحمہ اللہ تعالى states:
البیع بالمیتۃ و الدم باطل، کذا بالحر لانعدام رکن البیع، و ھو مبادلۃ المال بالمال فان ھذہ الاشیاء لا تعد مالا عند احد
(Al-Hidayah, Vol. 3, Chapter of Fasid Transactions, Pg. 42, Publ. Dar Ihya al-Turath al-Arabiy, Beirut)
In Tabyin Al-Haqaiq, it is stated:
و الاصل فیہ ان بیع ما لیس بمال عند احد کالحر و الدم و المیتۃ و ام الولد و المکاتب باطل
(Tabyin Al-Haqaiq Sharh Kanz Al-Daqaiq, Vol. 4, Pg. 362, Publ. Quetta)
Mufti-E-Azam of Pakistan, Mufti Waqar-Uddin رحمہ اللہ تعالى علیہ, in Waqar-Ul-Fatawa, while answering a question, states:
حرہ یعنی آزاد عورت محل بیع نہیں ہےکہ دور غلامی ختم ہوچکا۔۔۔ لہذا اس مذموم فعل کو ترک کردینا چاہئے۔۔۔ اسلام میں اس طرح کے فعل کی کوئی گنجائش نہیں ۔
Translation: A free woman is not able sellable, as the era of slavery has ended… Therefore, this reprehensible act must be abandoned… There is absolutely no room for such actions in Islam.
(Waqar-Ul-Fatawa, Vol. 3, Pg. 96, Publ. Bazm-e-Waqar-Uddin)
Taking money from the groom or his parents in exchange for the bride’s nikah is considered bribery. It is stated in Fatawa Alamgiri:
خطب امرأۃ فی بیت اخیھا فابی ان یدفعھا حتی یدفع دراھم فدفع و تزوجھا یرجع بما دفع لانھا رشوۃ
(Al-Fatawa Al-Hindiyah, Vol. 4, Chapter 11, Pg. 403, Publ. Dar Al-Kutub Al-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut)
The Imam of Ahl As-Sunnah, A'la Hazrat Imam Ahmad Raza Khan رحمہ اللہ تعالى علیہ states in Fatawa Razawiyah:
اگر وُہ روپیہ دینے والا اس لئے دیتا ہے کہ اس کے لالچ سے میرے ساتھ نکاح کردیں، جب تو وہ رشوت ہے، اس کا دینا لینا سب ناجائز وحرام، ہندیہ میں ہے کہ مرد نے کسی عورت کو اس طمع پر خرچہ دیا کہ وہ اس سے نکاح کرے گی، تو امام استاذ (قاضی خاں) نے فرمایا کہ اصح یہی ہے کہ وُہ اس عورت سے واپس لے سکتا ہے وہ عورت اس سے نکاح کرے یا نہ کرے کیونکہ یہ رشوت ہے، یُوں ہی اگر اولیائے عورت نے کہاکہ اتنا روپیہ ہمیں دے، تو تجھ سے نکاح کردیں گے ورنہ نہیں جیسا کہ بعض دہقانی جاہلوں میں کفار ہنود سے سیکھ کر رائج ہے، تو یہ بھی رشوت و حرام ہے۔
Translation: If the money is given with the intention that, through the greed of money, they will agree to marry their daughter to me, then this is bribery. Giving and taking such money is completely Haram. In Al-Fatawa Al-Hindiyah, it is mentioned that if a man enticed a woman, financially, in the hope that she will marry him, then according to Imam Ustadh (Qadi Khan), the Asah (most authentic) opinion is that he has the right to take that money back, regardless of whether she marries him or not, because this is classified as bribery. Similarly, if the guardians of that woman demand a certain amount of money, saying, “Give us this sum, and we will allow the marriage, otherwise we will not”, a practice learned by some ignorant villagers from Hindu customs, this too is bribery and completely Haram."
(Fatawa Razawiyah, Vol. 12, Pg. 285, Publ. Raza Foundation, Lahore)
Sadr Al-Shari’ah Badr Al-Tariqah Mufti Amjad Ali A'zami رحمہ اللہ تعالى writes in Bahar-e-Shari'at:
لڑکی والوں نے نکاح یا رخصت کے وقت شوہر سے کچھ لیا ہو یعنی بغیر ليے نکاح یا رخصت سے انکار کرتے ہوں اور شوہر نے دے کر نکاح یا رخصت کرائی تو شوہر اس چیز کو واپس لے سکتا ہے اور وہ نہ رہی تو اس کی قیمت لے سکتا ہے کہ یہ رشوت ہے۔
Translation: If the bride’s family takes something from the groom at the time of Nikah or Rukhsati (sending off the bride), meaning they refuse to proceed with the marriage or Rukhsati without it, and the groom gave the demanded thing and had the Nikah or Rukhsati, he has the right to reclaim it. If the exact item no longer exists, he may claim its value instead, because this is considered as bribery.
(Bahar-e-Shari’at, Vol. 2, Sect. 7, Pg. 79, Maktaba-tul-Madina, Karachi)
Mufti-E-Azam of Pakistan, Mufti Waqar-Uddin رحمہ اللہ تعالى, states in Waqar-Ul-Fatawa:
لڑکی کے باپ کے لیے یہ جائز نہیں کہ وہ اپنی لڑکی سے نکاح کرنے کے لیے شوہر سے یا اس کے والد سے کسی قسم کی رقم کا مطالبہ کرے۔
Translation: It is not permissible for the girl's father to demand any amount of money from the groom or his father in exchange for allowing the marriage of his daughter."
(Waqar-Ul-Fatawa, Vol. 3, Pg. 104, Publ. Bazm-e-Waqar-Uddin)
وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَرَسُوْلُہ اَعْلَم صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم
(Allah Almighty knows best and His Messenger صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم knows best.)
Answered By: Mufti Muhammed Qasim Attari
Ref No: FAM-488
Date: 19th Muharram Al-Haraam 1446 AH/ 26th July 2024