I have a friend who recently got married secretly without the knowledge of their family. Both the families have no problem with this marriage, although it was carried out secretly, they would like to present this to the society in a nice way. Is it possible to have the marriage (Nikah) again in front of close friends and family. In our society, they may be rejected by friends and other family members for marrying secretly. Also the reputation of the families would be hurt. The parents of both initially had no problems, but wanted their studies completed first. What are their options?
The objective of Nikah in Islam is to inform the Muslim public of the impending union between two prospective spouses. A secret Nikah, though technically valid, defeats this purpose.
Since the first Nikah is valid, there is no need to perform another Nikah as this will constitute a mockery of the Shari?aa regulations governing the institution of Nikah. Our suggestion is that the enactment of the Nikah be announced publicly in other words, inform the family members, etc. that the Nikah has already been performed.
and Allah Ta’ala Knows Best
Mufti Muhammad Kadwa
FATWA DEPT.
CHECKED AND APPROVED: Mufti Ebrahim Desai