Marriage without a Wali

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah Most Merciful Most Kind

Short Answer

Marriage without a Wali is usually valid in the Hanafi Madhab. However, it is certainly not encouraged. If the man is not Kuff (suitable) then the validity of the marriage can become questionable.

Explanation 

فَإِنْ طَلَّقَهَا فَلَا تَحِلُّ لَهُ مِنْ بَعْدُ حَتَّى تَنْكِحَ زَوْجًا غَيْرَهُ

If he divorces her (a third time), then she shall be lawful for him unless she first marries another man. (Surah al-Baqarah 230).

The standard ruling in the Hanafi Madhab is that marriage without a Wali is valid. However, there are circumstances in which the validity of the marriage will be subject to nullification. That is a detailed legal issue and should be studied thoroughly in the relevant Fiqh works.

Although marriage without a Wali is valid, it is not encouraged if the Wali is not agreeable to it. It can even be sinful, depending on the circumstances. That is because the Wali is often the father of the bride, and parents are given great rank and consideration in Islam.

Proof from the Holy Quran

In the verse above we see that Allah (Most High) speaks about a woman marrying a husband. No mention is made of the Wali. Hanafi Imams considered this to be proof for the permissibility of a marriage without a Wali. Since, the authority to marry has been placed with the woman.

There are other verses in the Holy Quran that do the same as the verse above. They seem to place the authority of marriage with the woman. Thus, they do not necessitate the involvement of a Wali.

وَإِذَا طَلَّقْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ فَبَلَغْنَ أَجَلَهُنَّ فَلَا تَعْضُلُوهُنَّ أَنْ يَنْكِحْنَ أَزْوَاجَهُنَّ إِذَا تَرَاضَوْا بَيْنَهُمْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ

When you have divorced women, and they have fulfilled their term, do not restrict them from marrying their husbands, if they mutually agree on equitable terms. (Surah al-Baqarah, 232).

وَالَّذِينَ يُتَوَفَّوْنَ مِنْكُمْ وَيَذَرُونَ أَزْوَاجًا وَصِيَّةً لِأَزْوَاجِهِمْ مَتَاعًا إِلَى الْحَوْلِ غَيْرَ إِخْرَاجٍ فَإِنْ خَرَجْنَ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي مَا فَعَلْنَ فِي أَنْفُسِهِنَّ مِنْ مَعْرُوفٍ وَاللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ

Those of you who die and leave widows, a bequest for their widows, one year’s maintenance and no expulsion. If they leave then there is no blame upon you for what they do within themselves in goodness. And Allah is Mighty, Wise. (Surah al-Baqarah, 240).

The first Quranic verse above, is fairly clear regarding the woman having the right to marry. However, this second verse is not so clear. Therefore, I have provided the following commentary from one of the Imams of the Salaf. In it Imam Mujahid explains that the verse is speaking about the woman marrying.

قَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: فِي مَا فَعَلْنَ فِي أَنْفُسِهِنَّ مِنْ مَعْرُوفٍ. [البقرة: 240] قَالَ: هُوَ النِّكَاحُ الْحَلَالُ الطَّيِّبُ. (تفسير عبد الرزاق)

Mujahid said regarding the Almighty’s saying: For what they do within themselves in goodness. (Surah al-Baqarah: 240). He said: It is (referring to) marriage, lawful and pure. (Imam Abd al-Razaq 211H, Tafseer).

Hadith against

There is a valid difference of opinion within Ahl al-Sunnah regarding the issue of marriage without a Wali. Many great Imams of Ahl al-Sunnah said it is not permitted and the marriage itself will be invalid.

In such cases of valid difference, we will find evidence for both sides. Since, Sunni Imams are not permitted to take a position without evidence.

عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: لَا نِكَاحَ إِلَّا بِوَلِيٍّ

Abu Musa (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: There is no marriage except with a Wali. (Sunnan Abi Dawood 2085, Sahih).

The Hadith  above, is a strong proof for those who say that the marriage of a Muslim woman without a Wali is null and void. The following Hadith is also clear regarding the issue.

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: أَيُّمَا امْرَأَةٍ نَكَحَتْ بِغَيْرِ إِذْنِ مَوَالِيهَا، فَنِكَاحُهَا بَاطِلٌ. ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ

(Sayidah) Aishah (May Allah Most High be pleased with her) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘The Nikah of any woman who marries without the consent of her Walis is void.’ (He ﷺ said these words) three times. (Abu Dawood 2083, Sahih).

Upon observing the clarity of the Hadith narrations above, a Muslim will rightly question the view of the Hanafis. How could they say that marriage without a Wali is valid, despite the above narrations.

I agree, the Hanafis would have no right to say such a thing without proof. But the proof has been presented already. The Hanafis are moved to interpret the above Hadith narrations because they believe the Holy Quran is fairly clear in permitting a Muslim woman to marry without a Wali.

Therefore, whether one agrees with the Hanafi position or not, it is unacceptable to say they have no evidence. Nor is it acceptable to say that they have brazenly opposed explicit authentic Hadith narrations of the Prophet ﷺ.

Hadith supporting the Hanafis

As well as the verses of the Holy Quran above, there are numerous Hadith narrations that support the Hanafi position. They prove that marriage without a Wali was practiced in the era of the Prophet ﷺ.

عَنْ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ أُمِّ حَبِيبَةَ، أَنَّهَا كَانَتْ تَحْتَ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ جَحْشٍ فَمَاتَ بِأَرْضِ الْحَبَشَةِ فَزَوَّجَهَا النَّجَاشِيُّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَأَمْهَرَهَا عَنْهُ أَرْبَعَةَ آلَافٍ وَبَعَثَ بِهَا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَعَ شُرَحْبِيلَ ابْنِ حَسَنَةَ

Urwa (bin al-Zubayr) narrated that Umm Habibah (May Allah Most High be pleased with her) was the wife of Abaydillah bin Jahsh, who died in Abyssinia. So al-Najashi married her to the Prophet ﷺ. And he gave her  four thousand Dirhams as dowry. Then he sent her to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ with Shurahbeel bin Hasanah (May Allah Most High be pleased with him). (Abu Dawood, 2068).

The above narration is also in Mustadrak al-Hakim. Imam al-Dhahabi confirmed that it is Sahih. In this narration we find that the blessed wife of the Prophet ﷺ was married without the Wali being involved. Rather al-Najashi conducted the Nikah, and he was not related to Sayidah Umm Habibah.

عَنْ عُقْبَةَ بْنِ عَامِرٍ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ لِرَجُلٍ: أَتَرْضَى أَنْ أُزَوِّجَكَ فُلَانَةَ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ، وَقَالَ لِلْمَرْأَةِ: أَتَرْضَيْنَ أَنْ أُزَوِّجَكِ فُلَانًا؟ ، قَالَتْ: نَعَمْ، فَزَوَّجَ أَحَدَهُمَا صَاحِبَهُ

Uqbah bin Amir (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said to a man, ‘Would you like me to marry you to so-and-so?’ He said: Yes. He ﷺ said to the woman, ‘Would you like me to marry you to so-and-so?’ She said: Yes. He then married one to the other. (Abu Dawood 2117, Sahih).

 

Once again, this narration is also in Mustadrak al-Hakim (2742). And once again Imam al-Dhahabi confirmed that it is Sahih. It is another example of marriage without a Wali in the era of the Prophet ﷺ. However, this time the blessed Prophet ﷺ is conducting the Nikah himself. The Wali is not involved at all.

Explaining the Hadith narrations

Since the Hadith narrations that seem to prohibit marriage without a Wali are authentic, they cannot be ignored. Rather they must be explained in the context of the Quranic verses and Hadith narrations that seem to permit a Muslim woman to marry without a Wali.

The Hanafis say that the narrations prohibiting marriage without a Wali are relevant to situations in which the woman does not have legal authority. The following Hadith supports this Hanafi explanation. Since it prohibits a slave from marrying without the Wali.

Thus the unrestricted (Mutlaq) narrations must be restricted (Muqayyad) by more specific narrations. This is a legal principle. When two proofs are addressing the same issue, and one is Mutlaq and the other is Muqayyad then restriction will be applicable.

Meaning the Hadith narrations prohibiting marriage without a Wali will be restricted to situations in which the person does not have legal authority.

عَنْ جَابِرٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: أَيُّمَا عَبْدٍ تَزَوَّجَ بِغَيْرِ إِذْنِ سَيِّدِهِ فَهُوَ عَاهِرٌ

Jabir (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: Any slave who marries without the permission of his master, is a fornicator. (Tirmidhi 1112, Hasan Sahih).

Authority is with the woman

Ultimately, the point made by Hanafi Imams is that a free, adult, sane woman has legal authority. And she is legally responsible. Therefore, she has authority over her own marriage. Thus her marriage without a Wali should be valid.

عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: لَيْسَ لِلْوَلِيِّ مَعَ الثَّيِّبِ أَمْرٌ، وَالْيَتِيمَةُ تُسْتَأْمَرُ، وَصَمْتُهَا إِقْرَارُهَا

Ibn Abbas (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: A Wali has no concern with a previously married woman, and an orphan girl (virgin) must be consulted, her silence being her acceptance. (Abu Dawood 2100, Sahih).

هَذَا الحَدِيث صَحِيح أخرجه أَبُو دَاوُد وَالنَّسَائِيّ فِي سنَنَيْهِمَا وَأَبُو حَاتِم بن حبَان فِي صَحِيحه. (البدر المنير في تخريج الأحاديث والأثار الواقعة في الشرح الكبير)

This Hadith is authentic (Sahih). It was narrated by Abu Dawud and al-Nasai in their Sunan and Abu Hatim bin Hibban in his Sahih. (Imam Ibn Mulaqin 804H, al-Badr al-Munir).

In the above Hadith narration we find that the blessed Prophet ﷺ placed the authority to marry with the woman herself, not the Wali. This is the point the Hanafis are making. The woman is legally responsible so should have legal authority.

The following Hadith provides a practical example of the woman exercising her authority over the Wali. In it the blessed Prophet ﷺ gave her the authority regarding her marriage.

عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، أَنَّ جَارِيَةً بِكْرًا أَتَتِ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَذَكَرَتْ أَنَّ أَبَاهَا زَوَّجَهَا وَهِيَ كَارِهَةٌ، فَخَيَّرَهَا النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

Ibn Abbas (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) said: A virgin came to the Prophet ﷺ and said that her father had married her against her will. So the Prophet ﷺ allowed her to exercise her choice regarding the marriage. (Abu Dawood 2096, Sahih).

رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد بِإِسْنَادِهِ على شَرط الصَّحِيحَيْنِ، وَقَالَ أَبُو دَاوُد: وَالصَّحِيح مُرْسل. وَقَالَ أَبُو حَاتِم: رَفعه خطأ، وَقَالَ ابْن حزم: صَحِيح فِي غَايَة الصِّحَّة. وَلَا معَارض لَهُ وَابْن الْقطَّان صَححهُ. (عمدة القاري شرح صحيح البخاري)

It was narrated by Abu Dawud with his chain of transmission (Isnad). It is upon the conditions of the two Sahih books. Abu Dawud said: The authentic one is Mursal. Abu Hatim said: Raising it is an error. Ibn Hazm said: Authentic, extremely authentic. There was nothing opposing it, and Ibn al-Qattan authenticated it. (Imam Badr al-Deen al-Ayni 855H, Umdatu al-Qari).  

Conclusion

With regards to the issue of marriage without a Wali, there is a difference of opinion within the Ahl al-Sunnah. This difference must be respected. The Hanafi position is that marriage without a Wali is normally valid. Although it is not usually encouraged. However, there are exceptions to these general rules.

And Allah Most High Knows Best.

–Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (01.12.24)