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RafiqQuestions

النكاح والأسرة

Marriage and family

01 Can a Muslim man marry a Christian or Jewish woman? A Muslim man may marry a Jewish or Christian woman — a woman of Ahl al-Kitab (the People of the Book) — and this is the… 5 sourcesRead 02 What makes a nikah valid? A nikah is valid when five conditions are met: the two spouses are identified, both consent, the bride's guardian… 6 sourcesRead 03 What are the rights of a husband and a wife in Islam? Marriage in Islam is a set of mutual rights and duties, and the scholars divide them into three categories: the… 5 sourcesRead 04 What is mahr, and how much should it be? The mahr is the wealth a wife is entitled to from her husband because of the marriage contract — and the scholars set… 6 sourcesRead 05 Can a woman marry without her wali (guardian)? No — a woman does not marry herself. The overwhelming majority of scholars hold that a marriage contract without a wali… 6 sourcesRead 06 What is allowed during an engagement (khitbah)? An engagement (khitbah) is a promise to marry, not a marriage — it establishes no marital rights and makes nothing… 5 sourcesRead 07 Can I see the woman I want to marry before proposing? Yes — you may see her before you propose, and the scholars hold it is not merely allowed but recommended. The Hanbali… 4 sourcesRead 08 What are the conditions for a man having more than one wife? Polygamy is permitted in Islam, up to four wives, on three conditions: the husband must have the financial means, the… 5 sourcesRead 09 How does talaq (divorce) work in Islam? Divorce in Islam is a permitted but deeply disliked act, granted by Allah as a mercy when a marriage can no longer… 6 sourcesRead 10 Does saying talaq three times at once count as three divorces? The scholars differ on this, and the difference is real. The four schools and the majority hold that three… 6 sourcesRead 11 What is khula? Khula is a separation of the wife from her husband in exchange for compensation — she gives back something, usually the… 4 sourcesRead 12 What is the iddah after divorce or a husband's death? The waiting period — the iddah — is four months and ten days after a husband's death, and three menstrual cycles after… 3 sourcesRead 13 Can a Muslim woman marry a non-Muslim man? A Muslim woman may not marry a non-Muslim man — this is forbidden by consensus, and the marriage is invalid if it takes… 6 sourcesRead 14 Is a secret marriage valid in Islam? A marriage kept secret is valid if it fulfils the conditions of a valid marriage — a guardian (wali) for the woman, two… 7 sourcesRead 15 What is forbidden between a husband and wife in intimacy? The default between spouses is permission: each may enjoy the other's body however they wish, and only what the… 2 sourcesRead 16 Is birth control allowed in Islam? The scholars distinguish sharply between two things that are often confused: permanent limitation of offspring is not… 3 sourcesRead 17 Is abortion allowed in Islam? Abortion is forbidden in Islam as a general rule, and the prohibition is agreed upon by the scholars across the… 8 sourcesRead 18 Is IVF allowed in Islam? IVF is permitted when the sperm and the egg come from a husband and wife who are married to each other, and the… 6 sourcesRead 19 What are the sunnahs when a baby is born? The main sunnahs at birth are: calling the adhan in the baby's right ear, tahnik (rubbing a chewed date on the palate)… 5 sourcesRead 20 What is aqiqah, and how is it done? Aqiqah is the sacrifice offered for a newborn child. It is a confirmed sunnah (sunnah mu'akkadah) — not obligatory … 4 sourcesRead 21 What are the rights of parents in Islam? The rights of parents in Islam are among the most emphasised obligations in the religion — God commands kindness to… 3 sourcesRead 22 Do I have to obey my parents about who I marry? The short answer is that it depends on what your parents are actually refusing. If they are refusing a specific person… 4 sourcesRead 23 How should I treat my non-Muslim parents? What you are carrying is real, and it is one of the hardest things a Muslim can face: the people who raised you, whom… 5 sourcesRead 24 Is adoption allowed in Islam? Adoption in the legal sense — giving a child the name and lineage of someone who is not his father — is forbidden in… 7 sourcesRead 25 Who are a woman's mahrams? A woman's mahrams are the men she is permanently forbidden to marry — her husband, and every man forbidden to her… 4 sourcesRead 26 Can a wife work outside the home? A wife may work outside the home, but it is not an unconditional permission — it is tied to conditions, and the first… 6 sourcesRead 27 Is a husband obliged to provide for his wife? Yes. A husband is obliged to maintain his wife — food, clothing and housing — and this obligation does not fall away… 6 sourcesRead 28 Is it allowed to marry a cousin? Yes — marrying a cousin is permitted in Islam. A man may marry his paternal uncle's daughter, his paternal aunt's… 6 sourcesRead 29 How should Muslim parents raise their children? Raising children Islamically is an obligation on both parents, not a favour they may choose to give or withhold. The… 7 sourcesRead 30 At what age should children start praying? Children are not required to pray before puberty — the obligation itself begins at bulugh (maturity). What begins… 4 sourcesRead

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