Reciting the six words of faith when conducting the marriage contract

23-9-2010 | IslamWeb

Question:

Assalam-O-Alaikum, Dear Sheikh please tell me that while Marriage-“Nikkaah” is consummated, is it obligatory for the Man to by-heart the Six-Kalimahs & “Sifaat Al-Imaan” and say/recite before the Qazi or the Imaam who is making the Nikaah Khutbah?.. Is this an obligatory part of the “Nikaah” ??.. Please let me know in the light of Quran and Sunnah. Thanking you.

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

 

There is no basis in Sharee‘ah for saying that the husband should recite the so called Six Kalimahs (words) and Sifaat (attributes) of Eemaan (faith) when concluding the marriage contract. Whoever claims that this is a part of the marriage ceremonies in Islam is required to provide the evidence for that from the Quran or the Sunnah.

Rather, what is obligatory upon the husband or his agent, and the wife’s guardian or his agent, when concluding the marriage contract, is only the wording of “‘Iijaab and Qabool” (i.e. offer and acceptance, in a way that the wife’s guardian says to the husband: “I marry off my daughter to you”, or that he says to the husband's agent: "I marry off my daughter to your authorizer" and the husband or his agent says: “I accept your offer”.

For more information about the conditions of the valid marriage according to Sharee‘ah, refer to Fatwa 83629.

Allaah Knows best.