Complex Marital Query

Question:

Assalamualaikum, I am in a very difficult situation please reply to my query. I used to like a boy who was very pious and prayed and used to fast, give charity, help others and pray tahajjud as well. We liked each other and many a times he helped me raise in my iman. He brought the proposal to my parents but my parents refused based solely on the cast system him being pathan and me being syed. But i still liked him and we tried our best to please my parents and seek their approval but all in vain. My parents used to beat me alot till my face used to swell. My brother used to physically molest me. So one day when i feared for my life we went ahead and did nikah as per hanafi fiqh. We had the qazi, and a muslim man (sane adult) at the nikah ceremony. we read our nikah and qazi and another muslim man heard offer and acceptance of the nikah. we declared the nikah infront of our family and friends. Marriage was consummated.Then my parents forcefully brought me back home by making false promises and then they started beating me and strangled me and threatened me to forget the boy or else they will kill both of us. Then after sometime they married me off by pressuring me , to another man who is also a good man but he doesn’t know anything about my past. My family threatened me not to tell. Now few years have passed and i am living with this another man. If i leave my parents will again beat me and harm me. My first husband has never given me talaq or i have asked for khula. Please help me what should i do? I have kids also with second man what is the status of both marriges? I have always wondered what will Allah do with me but i still believe what he does is for good. My parents separated me from first man on bases of many lies like my nikah was not valid. please help me what should i do islamically

(Question published as received)

Answer:

In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-raḥmatullāhi wa-barakātuh

Sister in Islām,

According to the information you have provided, our understanding of the scenario is as follows:

* You were in love with a “pious” boy

* The boy in reference came to your house and formally proposed

* Your parents rejected the proposal on the basis of him being from a different cast

* Thereafter, you secretly performed Nikāḥ with him as per the Ḥanafī Madhhab

* You then announced this marriage in your family and you consummated the marriage

* Later, your parents forcefully took you home and after some time, got you married to another man.

In principle, if a bālighah woman marries without the consent of her walī (male guardian) then the marriage will only be valid if she married a compatible partner. If she marries an incompatible partner without her walī’s consent, the marriage will be pending on the walīs consent. If the permission is not granted, then the marriage will be null from inception.

According to our understanding, though you married an incompatible partner (ghayr-kufū’) your parents initially accepted your marriage due to which you consummated your marriage. They did not object to your marriage and brought you home under false pretence. Thus, your first Nikāḥ is valid and intact. It is not permissible for you to remain with the second man.

And Allah Ta‘ālā knows best
(Mufti) Bilal al-Mahmudi

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai


(وَعِبَارَةُ النِّسَاءِ مُعْتَبَرَةٌ فِي النِّكَاحِ حَتَّى لَوْ زَوَّجَتِ الْحُرَّةُ الْعَاقِلَةُ الْبَالِغَةُ نَفْسَهَا جَازَ، وَكَذَلِكَ لَوْ زَوَّجَتْ غَيْرَهَا بِالْوِلَايَةِ أَوِ الْوِكَالَةِ، وَكَذَا إِذَا وَكَّلَتْ غَيْرَهَا فِي تَزْوِيجِهَا، أَوْ زَوَّجَهَا غَيْرُهَا فَأَجَازَتْ) . وَهَذَا قَوْلُ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ وَزُفَرَ وَالْحَسَنِ، وَظَاهِرُ الرِّوَايَةِ عَنْ أَبِي يُوسُفَ. وَقَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ: لَا يَجُوزُ إِلَّا بِإِجَازَةِ الْوَلِيِّ. فَإِنْ مَاتَا قَبْلَهَا لَا يَتَوَارَثَانِ، وَلَا يَقَعُ طَلَاقُهُ وَلَا ظِهَارُهُ، وَوَطْؤُهُ حَرَامٌ

فَإِنِ امْتَنَعَ الْوَلِيُّ مِنَ الْإِجَازَةِ ذَكَرَ الطَّحَاوِيُّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ يُجَدِّدُ الْقَاضِي الْعَقْدَ بَيْنَهُمَا. وَذَكَرَ هِشَامٌ عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ فَإِنْ لَمْ يُجِزْهُ الْوَلِيُّ أُجِيزُهُ أَنَا، وَكَانَ يَوْمَئِذٍ قَاضِيًا، فَصَارَ عَنْهُ رِوَايَتَانِ. وَرُوِيَ عَنْهُ أَنَّهُ رَجَعَ إِلَى قَوْلِ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ بِسَبْعَةِ أَيَّامٍ

وَحَكَى الْفَقِيهُ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ الْهِنْدُوَانِيُّ أَنَّ امْرَأَةً جَاءَتْ إِلَى مُحَمَّدٍ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ بِثَلَاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ، وَقَالَتْ: إِنَّ لِي وَلِيًّا وَهُوَ لَا يُزَوِّجُنِي إِلَّا بَعْدَ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ مِنِّي مَالًا كَثِيرًا، فَقَالَ لَهَا مُحَمَّدٌ: اذْهَبِي، فَزَوِّجِي نَفْسَكِ. وَهَذَا يُؤَيِّدُ مَا رُوِيَ مِنْ رُجُوعِهِ. وَعَنْ أَبِي يُوسُفَ فِي غَيْرِ رِوَايَةِ الْأُصُولِ مِثْلُ قَوْلِ مُحَمَّدٍ الْأَوَّلِ. وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ: إِنْ زَوَّجَتْ نَفْسَهَا مِنْ كُفْءٍ لَا يَتَوَقَّفُ، وَإِنْ كَانَ مِنْ غَيْرِ كُفْءٍ يَتَوَقَّفُ عَلَى إِجَازَةِ الْوَلِيِّ. (الاختيار لتعليل المختار (3/ 90))

(بدائع الصنائع. دار الكتب العلمية (3/356))

(أحسن الفتاوى ج 5 ص 93، 96. سعيد)