Answer
Short Answer:
- It is in shaa Allah permissible to get married over zoom or online or via social media apps or via telephone with the condition that there are enough circumstantial evidences to basically identify with certainty the bride and the groom. As well as the witnesses and the wali.
- It is not a condition of nikah that the husband and wife to be are in the same vicinity. You can conduct the nikah in different places the wali of course the actual nikah contract should be between the wali and between the the groom. That can be done online.
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Assalamo alaikom.
Brother Sayed from London is asking about getting married over Skype or Zoom. Is it permissible or not. And so the question arises therefore not just because of the pandemic. Let’s say in any situation or circumstances.
Is Getting Married over Zoom Permissible?
Can nikah take place virtually? Can the groom be sitting somewhere and the bride be sitting somewhere else and the nikah is taking place via video conferencing call or any mechanism?
Whether it’s zoom? Whether it’s Facetime. Or whatever it is. Or even via phone call. Is it possible or not?
Now I am aware that there are opinions out there. But again this is the rapid fire so we’re going to be doing one opinion only.
It is insha allah permissible to engage in a nikah online or via social media apps or via telephone with the condition that there are enough circumstantial evidences to basically identify with certainty the bride and the groom. As well as the witnesses and the wali.
How about Fraud?
So the problem that some ‘ulamaa raise is that how do we know if it is actually some type of fraud or something of this nature. And of course I mean that might be valid.
But if the entire families are involved. For example everybody’s looking forward to that day and the bride’s parents and the groom’s parents and you know everybody’s knowing that it’s taking place then the chances of fraud are basically eliminated to the degree as if it was in one room.
Therefore as long as the identities are in some fashion guaranteed. And as I said this doesn’t have to be it is circumstantial evidence the context is good enough. So if both families are involved and again you know the bride’s getting ready in her household the groom’s getting ready and the wali is known everybody can. have the nikah online.
It is not a condition of nikah that the husband and wife to be are in the same vicinity. You can conduct the nikah in different places with the wali of course. The actual nikah contract should be between the wali and between the groom. That can be done online. That can be done via any type of social media platform in which immediate back and forth can take place and as long as the identities are vetted and confirmed.
Money or Visa Issues
The only case again would be problematic if for example the two individuals were corresponding online had never met and you notice there’s a visa issue because there are cases where there’s visa fraud or somebody pretends to be somebody else and just to get the money or the visa.
That’s where I can understand some of our scholars are hesitant that you don’t want to do a nikah and you don’t even know that that other person is real; the identity is real.
So that’s why in such circumstances I can definitely say that reasonable precautions should be taken. Somebody from whichever side is doubtful, should send an actual physical person in that city to make sure the family, the wali, whoever is basically living flesh and blood they are who they say they are and everything is legit.
Otherwise in shaa Allah it is completely permissible and Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala knows best.