Is the walimah banquet necessary or the rukhsati banquet? The Holy Prophet sas said: Give a walimah [wedding banquet] even if with one sheep. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 34, Hadith 2; Sahih Muslim,...
Should health concerns be disclosed to the other party when considering a rishta [marriage]? A marriage can be dissolved through qada [court] if the spouse becomes aware of certain health issues that were not disclosed before the...
How old was Hadrat ‘Aishah (ra) when she married the Holy Prophet (sas)? The fact is that no one knows how old anyone was in 7th century Arabia. The Holy Prophet sas is...
Should spiritual shortcomings be disclosed to the other party when considering a rishta? We are taught not to publicize our sins, as the Holy Prophet sas stated: All the sins of my followers...
Is there a concept of “soulmates” in Islam? Each soul has an inclination to certain souls, and finding someone we connect with on a spiritual level is critical. The Holy...
How should istikharah prayer be observed? Hadrat Musleh Mau‘ud ra said: There are two types of istikharah, one is General Istikharah and the other is Specific Istikharah....
How much interaction is appropriate between a couple after their nikah and before rukhsati? After nikah, the couple are officially considered husband and wife and the Islamic commandment of veiling no longer applies between...
Is it appropriate to make a prenuptial agreement about finances before marriage? The relationship between a husband and wife is based on trust. Hadrat Musleh Mau‘ud ra explained: In marriage, the shari‘ah has...
Does the nikah have to be performed or is a court marriage sufficient by itself? There is no compulsion in religion. (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:257). What this means is that there is no compulsion in entering...
Can the nikah ceremony be performed secretly? One of the basic purposes of publicly declaring a marriage is so that no doubts can be raised about the...
Why do women need the consent of a wali [guardian] in marriage, but not men? The approval of the bride and the wali is needed in all cases, whether it is the first marriage or...
Why are Muslim men allowed to marry non-Muslim women when it seems that wives exercise more influence on children than husbands? Firstly, Allah Almighty has only permitted marriage outside of Islam if it is with women from the People of the...
Are “underage” marriages allowed in Islam? If the marriage of a child is arranged by his or her parents and the nikah is announced, then when...
What is the purpose of dowry in Islam? Hadrat Musleh Mau‘ud ra wrote: The philosophy of dowry is that a woman have a set property that she has personal...
Should men be stay-at-home dads or homemakers? Hadrat Khalifatul-Masih IV ra wrote: Those men are qawam [maintainers] who financially provide for their wives. Those useless men who live...
Does Islam allow a husband to beat his wife? Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran: And as for those on whose part you fear disobedience, admonish them and...
Some Muslims translate the words (hit them) in Surah an-Nisa’, 4:35 to not mean “hit,” can this word have a different meaning? The Promised Messiah as taught us a standard to judge whether an attempt to translate a word of the Holy...
What is the appropriate way of divorcing one’s wife in Islam? There are 3 categories of divorce and 3 numbers of divorce. The Categories refer to what the couple must do...
If a husband legally divorces his wife before observing the three month waiting period, can he take his wife back without a nikah even though they are no longer legally married? In most states, there is more than three months waiting period before legal divorce. It would be assumed that the...
Can a woman be divorced while she is pregnant, and who has custody of the child? Hadrat Ibn ‘Umar ra narrated that he divorced his wife while she was in the state of menses. Hadrat ‘Umar...