𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻'𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 (18)

Contracting marriage in the period between the two ‘Eids I am a young man in the prime of my youth who got engaged to a certain girl. After a period of engagement, I decided to contract marriage in the period between ‘Éidul Fiṭr (the Festival of Breaking the Fast) and ‘Éidul Aḍh-ḥā (the Festival of the Sacrifice). However, I confronted the problem that my fiancée’s relatives rumoured that it is impermissible to contract marriage in such a period, which caused my fiancée’s father to ask an Imām of a masjid (mosque) to be given the reply that it is Islamically impermissible. I, on my part, asked another Imām who gave me a reply to the opposite of that of the first Imām. I fell into confusion and this is why I sent to you hoping that you will give me a detailed answer substantiated by ḥadīth and Ijmā‘ (consensus of scholars) so that I can convince my fiancée’s family. In fact, I am sure that contracting marriage between the two ‘Éids is permissible but I have no evidence in written form. Answered by the permanent committee of scholars under the chairmanship of Sheikh Ibn Baz rahimahullah: A man may contract and consummate his marriage on any day of the year unless he is in a state of Iḥrām (ritual state for Ḥajj and ‘Umrah). During the state of Iḥrām, it is impermissible to marry or contract marriage for oneself or for others. As for prohibiting contracting marriage between ‘Éidul Fiṭr and ‘Éidul Aḍh-ḥā or at any other day, it has no Shar‘ē (Islamic legal) grounds. Rather, the Prophet ﷺ is authentically reported to have contracted marriage with ‘Ā’ishah in Shawwāl and consummated the marriage in Shawwāl also. This is supported by the ḥadīth related by Imām Muslim and others on the authority of ‘Urwah -raḍhiyallāhu ‘anhu- who reported ‘Ā'ishah -raḍhiyallāhu ‘anhā- as saying: “The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ married me in Shawwāl and consummated the marriage with me in Shawwāl, and who among the wives of the Messenger of Allāh was more fortunate with him than I.” ‘Ā’ishah also liked that the women of her family should enter the houses as brides during the month of Shawwāl. (A similar ḥadīth was reported by Tirmidhī, Imām Aḥmad in his Musnad [ḥadīth compilation], Al-Nasā'ē and ibn Mājah) Furthermore, ‘Ā’ishah -raḍhiyallāhu ‘anhā- liked that the women of her family should enter the houses as brides during the month of Shawwāl so as to follow the Sunnah of the Messenger ﷺ and to put an end to Jāhilyyah-related practices and the false beliefs of some laymen that contracting and consummating marriage in Shawwāl is Makrūh (reprehensible). Actually, such a belief is unsound and groundless. Rather, it is one of the superstitious habits of Jāhiliyyah (pre-Islamic time of ignorance) as people of such a time would see an evil omen in the name of Shawwāl which carries a connotation of the drying up of the camel’s milk and the lifting of its tail. Ibn Sa‘d stated in Aṭ-Ṭabaqāt: They hated this month because of a plague that took place during it and thus saw in it as an evil omen. Thus, one should follow the teachings of the Qur'ān, the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ and the practices of his Ṣaḥābah (Companions), in which there is all good. One should discard anything which contradicts them, all Jāhiliyyah-related customs and sayings of ignorant people paying them no attention. May Allāh grant us success! May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muḥammad, his family, and Companions! 📚 [Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Iftā’, Vol. 19; pp. 159 - 161] ➡️@womensbenefits