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The belief in Angels (al-Mala’kah) is the second article of faith in Islam. Allah says:

"The Messenger believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord, and so do the believers. All believe in Allah, His Angels and His Messengers."(Qur’an 2:285)

It is obligatory, and infact an essential part of faith to respect all of the Angels. Therefore, it is unthinkable for Muslims to have any animosity towards any of the Angels, let alone cursing them. Any such action is considered an act of Kaffir (disbelief).

Some Jews once came to the Prophet ﷺ and told him that they had five questions for him. If He could answer the questions satisfactorily, they would be his followers.

The Prophet ﷺ answered the first four to their satisfaction, and then they asked him the final question; "There is not any Prophet, except that he has an angel assigned to him as a companion, who brings him news from Allah. So tell us who is your companion ?" The Prophet ﷺ replied, "Jibreel, عليه اسلام." They said, "That is the one who brings down war, fighting and punishment - our enemy. If only you had said Mika’el, who brings down mercy, rain and vegetation, it would have been that we follow you!" Then Allah revealed the reply:

 

Day / Date	Ramadhaan	Sehri end	Iftar
**Friday 20th JULY	1st	03:10	21:14
Saturday 21st	2nd	03:11	21:13
Sunday 22nd	3rd	03:13	21:12
Monday 23rd	4th	03:15	21:10
Tuesday 24th	5th	03:17	21:09
Wednesday 25th	6th	03:18	21:07
Thursday 26th	7th	03:20	21:06
Friday 27th	8th	03:22	21:04
Saturday 28th	9th	03:24	21:03
Sunday 29th	10th	03:26	21:01
Monday 30th	11th	03:27	21:00
Tuesday 31st	12th	03:29	20:58
Wednesday 1st AUGUST	13th	03:31	20:56
Thursday 2nd	14th	03:33	20:55
Friday 3rd	15th	03:35	20:53
Saturday 4th	16th	03:37	20:51
Sunday 5th	17th	03:39	20:49
Monday 6th	18th	03:41	20:47
Tuesday 7th	19th	03:43	20:46
Wednesday 8th	20th	03:45	20:44
Thursday 9th	21st	03:46	20:42
Friday 10th	22nd	03:48	20:40
Saturday 11th	23rd	03:50	20:38
Sunday 12th	24th	03:52	20:36
Monday 13th	25th	03:54	20:34
Tuesday 14th	26th	03:56	20:32
Wednesday 15th	27th	03:58	20:30
Thursday 16th	28th	04:00	20:28
Friday 17th	29th	04:02	20:26
**Saturday 18th	30th	04:04	20:24
**Subject to sighting of the moon

The Marriage Contract: Its Basic Elements '

By Bilal Abu Aisha

All praise is due to Allah, the Creator of our world and the laws that govern it. And Peace and blessings of Allah be upon His slave and final Messenger Muhammad ﷺ, the one sent to all of mankind, the one sent to guide people out from the darkness of shirk (polytheism), into the light of Tawheed (montheism). Know dear reader that Allah سبحانه و تعالى has created things in pairs. Those pairs must get together in certain ways in order for reproduction to occur. The way for reproduction to occur amongst humans – males and females, is through marriage, known in Arabic as nikaah. Islam urges Muslims to marry, and prohibits pre-marital relationships. Allah Most High says in the Qur’an: “Marry the unmarried among you…”1 Also, Allah’s Messenger ﷺ in the hadith found in Bukhari and Muslim, commanded young people to marry, and advised those of them who could not afford it to fast as a means of controlling their sexual desire. From an Islamic perspective, marriage is not viewed merely as a means of satisfying natural desires and passions. Its goals are much deeper than just obtaining legal sex. Allah سبحانه و تعالى points out one of the main objectives behind marriage by saying: “And among His signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves that you might live with tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy between your hearts (hearts)…”2

Therefore, the phenomenon of bachelorship or celibacy are UN-Islamic practices that result in devastation, effecting the Muslim community, and posing a threat to the Islamic world. What devastation? What threat on the Islamic world? The answers to these questions are found in the non-Muslim communities. Every day we hear and observe with our very eyes the perverted and sinful ways of the Kuffar (disbelievers). These ways which they find acceptable in their societies have ultimately led to many types of diseases such as A.I.D.S, syphilis and the like, as a result of their choice to follow the unnatural way of abstaining from marriage.

The marriage contract is the formal bond that turns two individuals from strangers to husband and wife. It is the most important contract that most people execute throughout their lives. Since the marriage contract has such great significance, the deen of Islam imposes a number of guidelines that it must fulfill. Many Muslims who are engaged in pre-marital relationships hold back from having the contract executed due to their ignorance about its elements. So they continue to live a sinful lifestyle due to cultural influences which lead them thinking the process is too demanding. Before delving into the basic elements of marriage, it worth mentioning here that marriage is a serious matter and should be dealt with seriously. It is not allowed for a man to marry and then claim he did not really mean it, or that he was joking. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

“There are three matters in which it is not permissible to joke: marriage, divorce, and emancipation (of slaves).”3

The Islamic marriage contract has conditions, requirements, pillars and optional elements. A contract must fulfill the following conditions and pillars in order to be valid.

Eligibility of Bride and Groom

The first of these conditions is that both the bride and groom must fulfill certain requirements. The groom must be a chaste Muslim having attained the age of puberty. He must not be related to the bride by any of the permanently prohibiting blood, milk, or marital relationships such as his sisters, paternal and maternal aunts, daughters, grand daughters and others. He must not be prohibited from marrying the bride for any of the temporary reasons stipulated in the Qur’an and Sunnah. So if a man has four wives, all other women become temporarily prohibited from him. Another example of a temporary reason is that as long as a man is married to a particular woman, all of her sisters become temporarily prohibited for him; that is he may not marry any of them unless he divorces their sister. Others include: women married to other men, simultaneously marrying aunts and their nieces, adulteresses and prostitutes that have not sincerely repented, including others in which the Islamic shari ‘a may have listed. The requirements a bride must fulfill is that she must be a chaste Muslim, Christian or Jew. She must not be married to another man, and must not be related to the groom by any of the permanently prohibiting blood, milk, or marital relationships in addition to not being prohibited from marrying the groom for any of the temporary reasons as stated above.

Bride’s Permission

The next required element of the marriage contract is the bride’s permission. Without her permission, the contract is either null and void, or may be invalidated by the Islamic authorities at the bride’s request. The minimum required permission may be done by either voicing her approval or through a passive expression such remaining silent when asked about a potential husband and simply nodding her head, or making any other motion to indicate that she does not object to the marriage. The Prophet ﷺ said:

“A deflowered unmarried woman (i.e. widow or divorcee) may not be married without her instructions; and a virgin may not be married without her permission, and her silence indicates her consent.”4

The Woman’s Wali

The next requirement of for a valid contract is the approval of the woman’s guardian known as the wali. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “A marriage (contract) is not valid without a wali.”5 Normally, a woman’s wali is her father. If, for any reason, her father is unable to be her wali, her wali would then be her next closest blood relation: the grandfather, uncle, brother, son and so on. It is not permissible for a woman to take another woman as her wali. The Prophet ﷺ said: “A woman may not give another woman in marriage, nor may a woman give herself (independently) in marriage.”6 If the bride does not have a Muslim blood-relative as a wali, the Islamic authority, represented by the ruler or judge, would appoint a wali for her. In non-Muslim communities the local imam is the one to be appointed as the wali of a woman who has no wali. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “A marriage (contract) is not valid without a wali. And the authority is the wali of the one who does not have a wali.”7 The presence of the wali or a representative he has appointed is an integral element of the contract or else the contract is deemed invalid. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whichever woman marries without her wali’s permission, her marriage is void, her marriage is void, her marriage is void. If he (i.e. the husband) performs intercourse with her, the mahr (dowry) becomes her right because he had access to her private parts. And if they dispute, the ruler would then be the wali of the one who does not have a wali.”8

The witnesses

Another condition for the validity of a marriage contract is the presence of at least two trustworthy Muslim male witnesses. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “A marriage is not valid without a wali and two trustworthy witnesses.”9

The Mahr (Dowry)

The next element of the marriage contract is a mandatory marriage gift given by the husband to his wife. In Arabic, this gift is called mahr or sadaaq. Allah Most High said: “And give the women their dowry as a free gift.”10 He also made a commandment regarding by saying: “And give them their compensation as an obligation.”11 The mahr is the sole right of the wife and no one may take any of it without her permission – not even her parents. The dowry can be in the form of money, jewelry, clothing, or other material things. It can also be a non-material gift. The Islamic sharia has not specified any amount, but it should be in accordance with the husband’s financial ability and with what is reasonable for the bride in her social status. It is normally determined by agreement between the husband and the bride or her wali. A woman came to the Prophet ﷺ and offered herself to him. He declined, so a man who was present with him said: “O Messenger of Allah! Marry her to me.” The Prophet asked him: “Do you have anything to give her?” He said: “No!” The Prophet ﷺ said: “Give her at least an iron ring.” But he still could not afford it. The Prophet ﷺ then asked him: “Do you memorise any portion of the Qur’an?” He replied: “I have memorised such and such chapters.” The Prophet ﷺ then said: “…I marry her to you for the portion of the Qur’an that you have memorised.” This means that he is expected to teach her some of what he has memorised, and treat her kindly based on this memorisation. All of that would be much more beneficial to the bride than lots of material gift. Know that the best of dowry is that which is light and easiest upon the husband. This is actually a sign of blessing for the bride as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Verily, a sign of blessing for a woman is that her engagement, dowry, and giving birth, are all made easy.”12 Umar ibn al-Khataab (r.a) once gave a sermon in which he said: “Do not be excessive in regard to the women’s dowries.” It is recommended to give the bride her dowry immediately after executing the marriage contract. Yet, it is a very common practice to divide the mahr into two portions, an advanced and postponed portion. Postponement of the mahr is, in general, an innovated inconvenience that departs from the normal practice found in the Sunnah. It defeats the very purpose, which is to be a gift prior to having any intimacy with the bride.

Conditions

At the time of carrying out the marriage contract, the two parties my wish to set conditions whose violation would invalidate the contract. This is acceptable as long as the conditions do not violate any Islamic principles. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: “Every condition not according to the book of Allah is void, even if it be a hundred conditions.”13 An example of a condition may be that a woman stipulates that she remain in a particular homeland during their marriage. The conditions are normally set by the wife’s side, because the husband can terminate the marriage by uttering the divorce.

Carrying out the Contract

It is recommended for the person conducting the marriage ceremony to start with Khutbat-ul Haajah that was reported by Ibn Masoud and Jabir in at-Tabaraani and Bukhari in At-Taareekh. The main and actual pillars of the contract are the offering and acceptance known as Ijaab and qabool. They signify the mutual agreement and acceptance between the two parties to join in this marriage bond. The Ijaab and qabool must be stated in clear, well defined words, in one and the same sitting, and in the presence of the witnesses. The person conducting the ceremony may help the two parties say offering and accepting words. Documenting the marriage contract is not a requirement for the contract’s validty. However, it is important to document it for future reference and to preserve the rights of the husband and wife. Once the marriage contract is executed, all rights and responsibilities for the two parties become immediately due.

We ask Allah to bless us with beneficial knowledge and cure us from the ailment of ignorance and blind following, and Allah knows best!

Note

1. An-Noor, 24: 32

2. Surat Ar-Room

3. Sunan At-Tirmidhi – its chain is verified to be hasan by al-Albaani

4. Bukhari & Muslim

5. Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi, and others – verified to be authentic by al-Albaani

6. Ibn Majah, al-Bayhaqi and others – verified to be authentic by al-Albaani

7. Ahmad and Abu Dawud – verified to be authentic by al-Albaani

8. Ahmad and Abu Dawud – verified to be authentic by al-Albaani

9. Ahmad, Ibn Hibbaan, and others – Authentic according to al-Albaani

10. Surat an-Nisaa, 4:4

11. Surat an-Nisaa, 4:24

12. Ahmad, al-Haakim, and others –its chain is hasan according to al-Albaani

13. Bukhari & Muslim

Contrary to whatever you may believe, Hijaab (Islamic covering) is not a free personal choice. As a Muslim woman, you are not free; you are a slave of Allaah The Almighty. What is the relationship between freedom and uncovering parts of your body, adorning yourself, and uncovering your face? Does the belief that 'beauty of the soul is the real beauty' entitle a woman to be indecently dressed? 

The enemies of Islam have turned women into a cheap commodity; they despise you; they do not respect your mind, thought or character; they are only concerned about your body. Otherwise, let me know: What is the rationale behind an attractive woman appearing on an advertisement for razors or tires? Does this show respect for a woman’s mind? Or does this point to the fact that the media and marketing industry only think about exploiting her body? Why do they not let women who are covered in Hijaab be shown in their ads? 

If you could listen to what your colleagues in the university or work say about you behind your back, you would be horrified. They speak about your looks. They do not care for your intelligence or personality; they are only concerned about your femininity. This is the nature of man, and whoever claims otherwise is either a liar or abnormal. Wearing Hijaab is not a free personal choice, and you are certainly not free to do as you think fit; you are a slave of Allaah The Almighty. You have no right to disobey His orders. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means):

 {And whoever turns away from My remembrance – indeed, he will have a depressed life, and We will gather him on the Day of Resurrection blind." He will say, "My Lord, why have You raised me blind while I was [once] seeing?" [Allaah] will say, "Thus did Our signs come to you, and you forgot them; and thus will you this Day be forgotten." And thus do We recompense he who transgressed and did not believe in the signs of his Lord. And the punishment of the Hereafter is more severe and more enduring.} [Quran 20:124-127] 

Hijaab is not a free personal choice because it is the command of Allaah The Almighty and His Messenger , and the consensus of the Muslim scholars. Furthermore, Hijaab gives you the chance to test the truthfulness of those who claim that they are only concerned with your mind and character. If the case is true as they claim, wearing Hijaab will help them focus on your character, not your make-up, clothes, or charms. At this point you will discover the truth, and you will not find any man paying you attention or speaking to you because they do not need anything from you except your femininity. 

It is shameful that a woman who pretends to respect herself and cherish her honor and dignity seeks to impress people with her body. Surely, you humiliate your humanity by failing to adhere to correct Hijaab and by showing off your face in place.

An American woman says that she got fed up with such widespread corruption in her society, where a woman is judged only according to her appearance, and this greatly influences her field of work, promotions, and the opportunities of practical and emotional life. She adds that a woman has to always appear beautiful and attractive in order to attain easy success in every stage of her life. 

This woman converted to three religions that could not soothe her agony. Now she adheres to a sect of Judaism because she admires the fact that this sect obliges women to dress modestly and admonishes them not to intermix with men except in case of necessity. 

Another American woman says that she has embraced one of the old pagan religions of the Native Americans because that religion pays special respect to women, orders them to wear decent clothes and prohibits extramarital and premarital relationships. She adds that she feels that this religion respects women and protects values in society.

A practicing Muslim woman relates that she had been fully covered in Hijaab when she was obliged to travel to a European country with her family to receive medical care for her father. In the hospital, a nurse asked her permission to see her face, and when the nurse saw it, she was shocked. She thought that the woman covered her face because she was ugly or had a defect. When the nurse asked the woman why she was covering up, the woman explained to her that Islam sees women as a jewel that must be kept away from the eyes of strangers. The woman said that the nurse was listening attentively, and later, she said, "How wonderful! I wish I could cover myself up like you. I suffer a lot from people's looks at the details of my body and feel that I am a dummy; even here I feel that all people are staring at me." Professor Sigrid Hunke, author of the famous book Allah's Sun Rises over the West , outlines the glory of the Arabs and Muslims and the influence of their civilization on the Western renaissance. In an Islamic conference, she was asked to give advice to a Muslim woman who wanted to discard her Hijaab. She said, 
"A Muslim woman should not take the European or American women as role models. By doing so, she loses the elements of her character. Thus, she has to abide by the original guidance of Islam and follow in the footsteps of the early righteous women. She should cherish their values and adapt them to the needs of modern times. She should also focus on her significant mission of being a mother of the future Arab generation." 

Helen Stanberry, an American writer and a freelance journalist for more than 250 American newspapers, publishes a daily article read by millions of Americans. She spent several weeks in an Arab country, and when she returned home, she said that the Arab society is perfect and sound, and it should adhere to its customs which limit the freedom of young women and men reasonably. She adds that the Arabs have inherited manners which necessitate limiting the freedom of the woman, respecting the mother and father, and, more than that, eliminating the immorality of the West which is destroying the society and families in Europe and America. She advises the Arabs to continue preventing the free intermixing between the two sexes, narrow the freedom of the girl, and adhere to Hijaab like the earlier generations did. This would be better for the Arabs than immorality, liberty and the profligacy of Europe and America.

Anger with this inferior look at women was condemned in the words of Meryl Streep, an American actress, and the 1983 Academy Award winner. In a press conference, she said that every time she visited a public place, people would scrutinize the measurements of her body to make sure that she was a beautiful and worthy of being the best American actress. This disturbed her a lot because she knew that people looked at her only to judge her body. 

She contested the so-called Women's Liberation Movement, saying that she does not like the present-day concepts about women because they view the ideal woman to be the one who has a slim body. [Excerpted from the book "Risaalah Ila Hawaa' by Rasheed Al-‘OOwayid] 

A woman so fond of the Abaya that she wears it at home
A Korean girl wrote on the internet, “I love your dress…yes…I love this Abaya which fully covers the body. I love it so much and love to wear it. I asked my cousin, who works in the Gulf region to send me one. Once it was sent to me, I wore it immediately. Although many people mocked me and were surprised at my appearance, I still wear it from time to time and sometimes at home. I feel greatly comfortable and content when wearing it.” 

At a time when women all over the world are searching for their identity by returning to decency and covering up, many Muslim women are trying to find ways and justifications to say that Hijaab is not a religious obligation, or that the essence is more important than appearances. Muslim sister, do not sacrifice the everlasting life in the Hereafter; do not risk it. You cannot do that. It is either everlasting bliss or everlasting doom. Many women before you followed the way of liberation and pride, but they reaped loss, failure, depression and misery. What will you lose if you put on Hijaab? What will you lose if you cover your hair, arms and legs? Please, answer: What loss will you incur? What has your friend who puts on Hijaab lost? Do not expose yourself to the anger of Allaah The Almighty; otherwise, you live in suffering, misery and pain. You have to put on Hijaab and quit the futile argument. Just put it on. You are not wiser than the women who wore it, nor are you more beautiful or smarter than they are. You may ask them about it. O slave of Allaah, The Compeller, return to your Lord, submit and surrender to Him; beware of the anger of Allaah The Sovereign. Hijaab is not a free, personal choice and you are not free. Islam has its rules and principles, so whoever claims to adhere to it is not allowed to violate its rules. Whoever accepts Islam as a religion should submit to its orders and avoid its prohibitions. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer, We will surely cause him to live a good life, and We will surely give them their reward [in the Hereafter] according to the best of what they used to do.} [Quran 16:97]