The short answer
The meaning of nikah (also spelt nikkah) is the Islamic marriage contract, made by an offer and an acceptance. Witnesses are required, and a mahr is due to the bride. In one classical work of each school, three of the four require her wali. The Law Commission says a religious-only wedding is not a legal marriage in England and Wales.
What do nikah, mahr and walimah mean?
| Term | What it is |
|---|---|
| Nikahalso spelt nikkah | Nikah is the marriage contract; al-Marghinani notes the word means joining and pairing. 8 |
| Ijab and qabuloffer and acceptance | Ijab and qabul are the offer and the acceptance: in al-Nawawi's wording, "zawwajtuka" (I marry her to you) and "qabiltu nikahaha" (I accept her marriage). 9 |
| Waliguardian | A wali is the bride's guardian; al-Nawawi lists her father first. 9 |
| Mahralso sadaq or mehr | Mahr is what the husband gives the bride; Ibn Qudamah lists nine names for it. 11 |
| Walimahalso spelt walima | The walimah is the wedding meal, a word used for wedding food only, Ibn Qudamah reports. 11 |
What makes a nikah valid in the four schools?
Each column follows one classical work of that school (more in Sharia law explained).
| Hanafial-Hidayah | Shafi'iMinhaj | Malikial-Qawanin | Hanbalial-Mughni | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wali | An adult woman's consent concludes it without a wali (Abu Hanifah, Abu Yusuf); see below 8 | Required; a woman may not marry herself off 9 | Required; one of the five pillars (of the nikah, in this work) 10 | Required; a woman may not marry herself off 11 |
| Two witnesses | Required: free, sane, adult Muslims; two men or a man and two women 8 | Required: two men, free, upright, able to hear and see 9 | Required before consummation, not at the contract 10 | Required: two Muslims (one report from Ahmad allows none) 11 |
| Offer and acceptance | Past-tense words: nikah, tazwij (marrying), hibah (gift) and others 8 | Only tazwij or inkah (giving in marriage), in another language too in the sounder view 9 | Tazwij or tamlik (granting ownership); bay' (sale) and hibah also count 10 | Only inkah or tazwij 11 |
| Mahr | Valid if unnamed; at least ten dirhams 8 | Sunnah to name; whatever can be sold can be a mahr 9 | A pillar; at least a quarter dinar or three dirhams 10 | Recommended to name; no fixed minimum or maximum 11 |
The Hanafi position on the wali
Al-Hidayah reports that in the school's main transmitted texts (zahir al-riwayah), Abu Hanifah and Abu Yusuf hold that a free, sane, adult woman's nikah is concluded by her consent even if no wali contracts it. A report from Abu Yusuf requires a wali, and Muhammad al-Shaybani held that it waits on the wali's approval. The wali may object if the husband is not a suitable match (kuf'), and a report from Abu Hanifah and Abu Yusuf makes such a marriage invalid. Al-Hidayah adds that Muhammad al-Shaybani is reported to have come round to the view of the two (Abu Hanifah and Abu Yusuf) 8.
What happens at a nikah ceremony?
Step by step, the way to a nikah as the classical works set it out:
- A khutbah (a short sermon). Ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, taught them the khutbah al-hajah (Sunan Abi Dawud 2118, graded sahih through its Abu al-Ahwas chain). Al-Nawawi and Ibn Qudamah both recommend a khutbah before the contract 9 11.
1AuthenticSunan Abi Dawud 2118
- The offer and acceptance. Three schools require the witnesses here; Ibn Juzayy (Maliki), before consummation.
- Naming the mahr. Sunnah for al-Nawawi, recommended for Ibn Qudamah, optional for validity in al-Hidayah, and for Ibn Juzayy the mahr itself is a pillar.
- Congratulations. When the Prophet congratulated someone who had married, he said these words (Sunan Abi Dawud 2130, graded hasan or sahih). If you want a nikah dua for the couple, this is the Prophet's own wording (compare Allahumma barik).
Sunan Abi Dawud 2130
بَارَكَ اللَّهُ لَكَ وَبَارَكَ عَلَيْكَ وَجَمَعَ بَيْنَكُمَا فِي خَيْرٍ
bārakallāhu laka wa bāraka 'alayka wa jama'a baynakumā fī khayr
May Allah bless you, send blessing upon you, and bring the two of you together in good.
2AuthenticSunan Abi Dawud 2130
What is mahr in Islam?
Mahr is what the husband gives the bride in marriage. An-Nisa 4:4 tells those who marry to give it as a free gift:
وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلنِّسَآءَ صَدُقَـٰتِهِنَّ نِحْلَةً ۚ فَإِن طِبْنَ لَكُمْ عَن شَىْءٍ مِّنْهُ نَفْسًا فَكُلُوهُ هَنِيٓـًٔا مَّرِيٓـًٔا
An-Nisa 4:24 says "give to them their portions as a duty". 'Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said the Prophet's mahr to his wives was twelve and a half uqiyah, which she put at 500 dirhams (Sahih Muslim 1426, graded sahih).
3AuthenticSahih Muslim 1426
What is mahr fatimi, and how much is it today?
Mahr fatimi is the name used for the mahr of Fatimah, may Allah be pleased with her, the Prophet's daughter. Sources differ on the amount:
- When 'Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, married her, the Prophet told him to give her something and asked where his hutamiyyah armour was. No sum is given (Sunan Abi Dawud 2125, graded sahih).
5AuthenticSunan Abi Dawud 2125
- 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said none of the Prophet's wives or daughters was given more than twelve uqiyah (Sunan Abi Dawud 2106, graded hasan or sahih).
6AuthenticSunan Abi Dawud 2106
- Jamiatul Ulama KZN (a Hanafi council of scholars in South Africa), reporting Mufti AK Hoosen in 2016, gives it as 500 dirhams, about 1,531 grams of silver by their figure. The article cites no narration for the 500 dirhams 12.
Its value today in pounds moves with the silver price; we give no cash figure.
What is a walima, and is it compulsory?
The walima is the wedding meal. If its menu is on its fifth version in the family group chat, you are not alone.
When 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf, may Allah be pleased with him, married, the Prophet told him: "Give a walimah, even with one sheep" (Sahih al-Bukhari 5167, graded sahih). He also said that whoever is invited to a walimah should come to it (Sahih al-Bukhari 5173, graded sahih).
4AuthenticSahih al-Bukhari 5167
7AuthenticSahih al-Bukhari 5173
Is it compulsory? Ibn Qudamah reports no disagreement among scholars that it is a sunnah at a wedding, and that most do not count it obligatory 11.
Is a nikah legally recognised in the UK?
In England and Wales, only if it is also the legal wedding: held at a registered religious building, after notice, with an authorised person present (gov.uk) 16. Otherwise the Law Commission calls it a "non-qualifying ceremony": the law recognises no marriage, and the couple are treated as cohabitants 13.
The Home Office's 2018 review found that a significant number of Muslim couples do not civilly register religious marriages 14 15.
How to register a nikah in the UK (England and Wales)
A nikah is not registered afterwards on its own; gov.uk's legal route (read 23 October 2026) is:
- Give notice at your local register office at least 29 days before.
- Then either hold the nikah at a registered religious building where an authorised person signs the marriage schedule (or book a registrar, £114.50), or have a separate civil ceremony at a register office (registrar £62) or approved venue.
- Once the signed schedule is added to the register, you can get your marriage certificate.
The 2018 review recommended that the civil marriage take place before or at the same time as the nikah. On 2 October 2025 the government said it will reform weddings law when parliamentary time allows; its consultation, Tying the Knot (CP 1653), ran from 16 July to 24 September 2026. The steps above are the current rules 17.
In Scotland, a religious ceremony can be the legal marriage when an authorised religious celebrant conducts it after both partners have submitted notice forms, with two witnesses aged 16 or over (National Records of Scotland) 18. Northern Ireland is not covered here.
Nikkah papers and the nikkah contract
What's a nikkah contract? It is the offer and acceptance itself. Ibn Juzayy writes that writing the mahr down is not a condition: such documents record rights and prevent disputes 10. In England and Wales the legal record is the marriage certificate that follows the registered schedule (gov.uk) 16. A nikah certificate is not a marriage certificate 16.
When to ask, and who
Not covered here: divorce, the wali's detailed rules, and unregistered nikahs.
- Your own nikah (wali, witnesses, mahr): ask an imam you trust.
- Registration or legal rights: speak to a family solicitor.
At a nikah I went to, the groom was asked if he accepted and the room went completely silent for a second. It was much shorter and plainer than I had expected, and I remember thinking how much weight that one answer carries.
Try it: three questions
Pick an answer.
1Which school's work reports that an adult woman's consent concludes her nikah without a wali?
Answer: Hanafi. Hanafi (al-Hidayah); the other three works require a wali.
2What did the Prophet tell 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf after he married?
Answer: Give a walimah, even with one sheep. "Give a walimah, even with one sheep" (Sahih al-Bukhari 5167). Source 4
3What does the Law Commission call a religious-only wedding?
Answer: A non-qualifying ceremony. A non-qualifying ceremony: the law recognises no marriage.
Questions people ask
Does the mahr have to be paid at the nikah?
Not always. Ibn Juzayy (Maliki) allows part now and part deferred to a known date; al-Nawawi (Shafi'i) says the wife may withhold herself until she receives the part due now, not a deferred part.
Can you have an online nikah in the UK?
Whether a video nikah meets your school's conditions is a question for an imam. For the law, gov.uk's guide to marrying in England and Wales lists no online route to a legal marriage.
Sources
Every claim on this page comes from one of these. Gradings are reported with the scholar's name; we do not grade hadith ourselves.
- 1
'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said the Prophet taught them the khutbah al-hajah (the address for a need), beginning 'inna al-hamda lillah, nasta'inuhu wa nastaghfiruhu' and including three Quran verses (An-Nisa 4:1, Al 'Imran 3:102, Al-Ahzab 33:70 to 71); one chain describes it as the khutbah al-hajah 'in nikah and other things'.
Sunan Abi Dawud 2118 Book 12, Hadith 73
Authentic: Sahih (Al-Albani); its chain is sahih through Abu al-Ahwas, weak through Abu 'Ubaydah (Shu'ayb al-Arna'ut); sahih (Al-Albani); sahih to Muslim's standard (Al-Albani); its chain is sahih to Muslim's standard (Shu'ayb al-Arna'ut); sahih (Al-Dhahabi); of its two chains, one is sahih and the other weak (Ahmad Shakir). Remarks: إسناده رجاله ثقات، لكنه منقطع (its narrators are trustworthy, but it is broken), said of the Abu 'Ubaydah chain with the words in nikah and other things (Al-Albani); Abu 'Ubaydah did not hear from his father (Al-Mundhiri)
- 2
When the Prophet congratulated someone who had married, he said: barakallahu laka wa baraka 'alayka wa jama'a baynakuma fi khayr (may Allah bless you, send blessing upon you, and bring you both together in good).
Sunan Abi Dawud 2130 Book 12, Hadith 85
Authentic: Sahih (Al-Albani); hasan sahih (Al-Tirmidhi); Sahih (Darussalam); its chain is strong (Shu'ayb al-Arna'ut); sahih to Muslim's standard (Al-Hakim); its chain is sahih (Al-Nawawi); hasan sahih (Al-Albani); hasan (Muqbil al-Wadi'i). Remarks: stronger than the hadith of Mu'adh on the topic (Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani); silent about it; he said what he is silent about is fit to use (Abu Dawud)
- 3
Abu Salamah ibn 'Abd al-Rahman asked 'Aisha how much the Prophet's mahr (sadaq) was; she said his mahr to his wives was twelve uqiyah and a nashsh, explained that a nashsh is half an uqiyah, that this makes five hundred dirhams, and that this was the Prophet's mahr to his wives.
Sahih Muslim 1426 Book 16, Hadith 91
Authentic: in Sahih Muslim
- 4
The Prophet asked 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf, who had married a woman of the Ansar, how much mahr he had given her; he said the weight of a date stone in gold; and the Prophet said to him: 'Give a walimah, even with one sheep' (awlim wa law bi shah).
Sahih al-Bukhari 5167 Book 67, Hadith 102
Authentic: in Sahih al-Bukhari
- 5
When 'Ali married Fatimah, the Prophet said to him 'Give her something'; he said 'I have nothing'; the Prophet said 'Where is your hutamiyyah armour?'
Sunan Abi Dawud 2125 Book 12, Hadith 80
Authentic: Sahih (Al-Albani); sahih (Shu'ayb al-Arna'ut); its chain is sahih (Shu'ayb al-Arna'ut); included in his Sahih (Ibn Hibban); sahih (Ibn Daqiq al-'Id). Remarks: its narrators meet al-Bukhari's standard (Ibn 'Abd al-Hadi); included in al-Mukhtarah, his selection of reports not in al-Bukhari and Muslim (Al-Diya' al-Maqdisi); silent about it; he said what he is silent about is fit to use (Abu Dawud)
- 6
'Umar ibn al-Khattab said in a sermon: do not go to excess in women's mahr; if it were an honour in this world or piety with Allah, the Prophet would have had most right to it; the Prophet did not give any of his wives, nor was any of his daughters given, a mahr of more than twelve uqiyah.
Sunan Abi Dawud 2106 Book 12, Hadith 61
Authentic: Hasan Sahih (Al-Albani); its chain is strong (Shu'ayb al-Arna'ut). Remarks: silent about it; he said what he is silent about is fit to use (Abu Dawud)
- 7
The Prophet said: 'If one of you is invited to a walimah, let him come to it.'
Sahih al-Bukhari 5173 Book 67, Hadith 108
Authentic: in Sahih al-Bukhari
- 8
Hanafi: offer and acceptance, the two witnesses, the adult woman and the wali, the mahr (valid unnamed, ten dirhams at least), the word nikah, answering invitations.
Burhan al-Din al-Marghinani (d. 593 AH), al-Hidayah fi Sharh Bidayat al-Mubtadi, Kitab al-Nikah (shamela.ws page 254), Bab fi al-Awliya' wa al-Akfa' (page 262), Bab al-Mahr (page 272); Kitab al-Karahiyah (page 1021). Dar Ihya' al-Turath al-'Arabi edition as on shamela.ws; page numbers are shamela.ws page ids Read on 23 October 2026. Record: scholarly-hidayah-nikah.
- 9
Shafi'i: the khutbah before the contract, the words of offer and acceptance, the two witnesses, the wali and the order of walis, the mahr, the walimah and its invitation.
Yahya ibn Sharaf al-Nawawi (d. 676 AH), Minhaj al-Talibin wa 'Umdat al-Muftin, Kitab al-Nikah (shamela.ws pages 232, 233, 234), Kitab al-Sadaq (pages 247, 248, 252). Dar al-Fikr edition as on shamela.ws; page numbers are shamela.ws page ids Read on 23 October 2026. Record: scholarly-minhaj-nikah.
- 10
Maliki: the five pillars, the wali, witnessing before consummation, the mahr and its minimum, written documents, the walimah and its invitation.
Muhammad ibn Ahmad Ibn Juzayy al-Kalbi (d. 741 AH), al-Qawanin al-Fiqhiyyah, Kitab al-Nikah: the walimah and witnessing (shamela.ws pages 126 to 127), the pillars (127), the wali (129 to 130), the sadaq (131). shamela.ws edition, page ids Read on 23 October 2026. Record: scholarly-qawanin-nikah.
- 11
Hanbali: the wali, the two witnesses, the words of the contract, the khutbah, the names and amount of the mahr, the walimah and its invitation.
Muwaffaq al-Din Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi (d. 620 AH), al-Mughni, Kitab al-Nikah: wali (shamela.ws pages 2816 to 2817), witnesses (2818 to 2820), the words (2888), the khutbah (2891 to 2892); Kitab al-Sadaq (3019 to 3020); Kitab al-Walimah (3085 to 3087). Maktabat al-Qahira edition as on shamela.ws; page numbers are shamela.ws page ids Read on 23 October 2026. Record: scholarly-mughni-nikah.
- 12
Mahr fatimi given as 500 dirhams, about 1,531 grams of silver by their figure; no narration cited (article dated 2 March 2016).
Jamiatul Ulama KZN, reporting Mufti AK Hoosen, Fiqh: Where do our calculations for Mahr come from? (article dated 21 Jumadal Ula 1437 / 2 March 2016), jamiat.org.za, article page Read on 23 October 2026. Record: scholarly-jamiat-kzn-mahr-fatimi.
- 13
Religious-only weddings outside the legal framework are non-qualifying ceremonies; the couple are treated as cohabitants.
Law Commission of England and Wales, Weddings project page; Celebrating Marriage: A New Weddings Law, summary of the final report; Weddings FAQs, Project page ('Problem' and 'Next steps'); summary, p. 6 (glossary) and p. 34 ('Religious-only weddings'); FAQs, question on religious-only or unregistered marriages Read on 23 October 2026. Record: reference-lawcom-weddings.
- 14
Many Muslim couples do not civilly register a religious marriage; the reasons found; the recommendation on timing.
Home Office; review chaired by Professor Mona Siddiqui, The independent review into the application of sharia law in England and Wales, Executive summary, printed pp. 4 to 5 (Recommendation 1); Civil marriage, printed p. 13; section 6, printed p. 22 Read on 23 October 2026. Record: reference-homeoffice-civil-registration.
- 15
The review itself: chair, publication date (1 February 2018) and scope.
Home Office; review chaired by Professor Mona Siddiqui with a panel of experts, The independent review into the application of sharia law in England and Wales, Executive summary, p. 3 (repeated in the report body) Read on 21 October 2026. Record: reference-homeoffice-sharia-review.
- 16
Giving notice, religious and civil ceremonies, the marriage schedule and certificate, fees as shown.
UK government (gov.uk), Marriages and civil partnerships in England and Wales (printable guide), Sections 3 (Plan your ceremony), 4 (Give notice) and 6 (Your legal rights and responsibilities) Read on 23 October 2026. Record: reference-govuk-marriage-england-wales.
- 17
The government will reform weddings law when parliamentary time allows (2 October 2025); consultation CP 1653, 16 July to 24 September 2026.
Ministry of Justice, Weddings law reform, letter of 2 October 2025 (MoJ ref SUB127780); Tying the Knot: Reforming weddings law in England and Wales, CP 1653 (consultation), Letter, page 1; consultation paper title pages; consultation page (dates) Read on 23 October 2026. Record: reference-moj-weddings-reform.
- 18
Religious or belief celebrants, notice forms, witnesses and venues in Scotland.
National Records of Scotland; Scottish Government (mygov.scot), Making arrangements for a marriage or civil partnership (NRS, last updated 28 May 2026); Marriage and civil partnerships in Scotland (mygov.scot, last updated 12 October 2026), NRS page sections on celebrants, witnesses and surprise ceremonies; mygov.scot section Different types of ceremony Read on 23 October 2026. Record: reference-nrs-scotland-marriage.
- Q
Quran Arabic and English for An-Nisa 4:4; an English phrase from An-Nisa 4:24.
Tanzil Project Uthmani text, CC BY 3.0. English: adapted from Marmaduke Pickthall's translation (1930), modernised and checked against modern translations.
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