Nikah Services In UK
Introduction:
By the Name of Allah, praises be to Allah, prayer and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Islam has cared for organizing ties and relations among people. And among one of the most important relations that Islam paid special intention for is "Nikah or Islamic Marriage".
Importance of Marriage:
Marriage is one of the most important relationships at all. It aims at safeguarding chastity, maintaining family lineage and protecting society from the spread of immorality and illegal children. It is a gathering of a man and a woman under a legal contract, and it is the only legal way to bring legal children. Allah the Al-Mighty said: "O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them many men and women." (An-Nisa': 1)
The relationship between husband and wife is very special and important. Therefore, Allah has put limits to organize their relationship with each other; He has stated rights for both the husband and wife towards each other, such as treating each other with kindness and fulfilling their desires.
Moreover, Allah has stated rights for the husband upon his wife, such as obeying him within the limits set by Allah. Similarly, Allah stated rights for the wife upon her husband, such as spending on her.
For the importance of this relation in Islam, Allah has described it with "the solemn covenant" as in His saying: "And how could you take it while you have gone in unto each other and they have taken from you a solemn covenant?" (Chapter of An-Nisa': 21)
Also the Prophet (peace be upon him) has described marriage as half of one's religion as in his saying: "When a man marries he has fulfilled half of the religion; so let him fear God regarding the remaining half."
And for this special care of Islam directed toward this holy relation, many countries has paid special attention to provide services to help in and facilitate the completion of marriage and all matters related to it. And among these countries is the United Kingdom (UK). And among these services provided by the UK are: Simple Nikah, Nikah Event, Online Nikah, and so on.
Nikah in the UK:
As there are a large number of Muslims in the UK, the country has cared for organizing the Nikah according to the Islamic Shari'ah, not in accordance with its special laws. It provides a simple way of Nikah or Islamic marriage that depends originally on the Book of Allah and Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah.
1) Simple Nikah Service
The first thing with which the Nikah should begin is offer of the husband and acceptance of the wife or her guardian made in the presence of two witnesses, with a defined dowry delivered completely or part of it to the wife.
And so Simple Nikah is an Islamic marriage contract, which involves a simple celebration held by an Imam, the groom, the bride, the guardian of the bride, two witnesses, and some of their families if possible to declare the groom and the bride as husband and wife according to the Islamic Shari'ah.
Simplicity of Nikah in the UK is not represented only in the simple celebration. It does not burden the husband or wife much cost. It can be held with a nominal cost or even with no cost at any local Masjid or Islamic center. This affordability encourages many young Muslims to take this step easily.
Affordability is not only represented in few costs it requires, but it also appears in simple manifestations of celebration. You do not fall under pressure of local preparations, such as making a wedding party, inviting too much people, and so on.
Simple Nikah in the UK does not require any physical or psychological effort from any of the spouses or their families. It does not define a special time or place, it does not define any amount for dowry; however it leaves this matter to the spouses, and it does not oblige anything on any of the spouses beyond the limits set by Allah.
This simplicity provided for the Nikah reflects a beautiful gesture from the UK for paying attention to and facilitating such an important relation in Islam.
2) Nikah Event Service
Another service that the UK offers for facilitating marriage is the Nikah Event. As mentioned before, for Nikah to be valid, some conditions must exist. And among these conditions is a public declaration of marriage.
The UK provides several ways for the declaration of Nikah among families and friends of both spouses. This can take place in a Masjid, a house of one of the spouses, or any place specialised for celebration.
The Nikah event involves reciting the Qur'an, signing the marriage contract, and declaring both the husband and wife as spouses by the Imam. This is often followed by celebrations of the attendants through eating, religious singing, and so on.
Such celebrations are not obligatory; it is sufficient to declare the spouses as husband and wife. But celebration is a manifestation of expressing gratitude to Allah for helping you complete the marriage, a manifestation of expressing joyfulness and happiness of completing one's religion, and of being gathered with the beloved, and a manifestation of expressing the happiness of the families and friends of the spouses.
3) Online Nikah
To make Nikah easier, the UK introduces another service: Online Nikah. Online Nikah in the UK is legal and considerable. It can be conducted through video conferencing at any time, both nationally and internationally. This makes Nikah easier and quicker, especially for those who cannot attend or who cannot afford the cost of Nikah event.
` This Nikah is considered illegal according to the UK law. However, it is valid according to the Islamic Shari'ah.
How it is done? You have to register through the website of Nikah in UK. You need to gather the spouses, witnesses, guardian of the wife, and Imam via video call to conduct and announce the marriage. You can choose the date and time suitable for you.
This shows how the Online Nikah is a suitable opportunity when you are not able to conduct it at the quarter of holding Nikah in UK.
4) Shahadah
One of the most important condition for the validity of marriage is Shahadah (witness of two just men). However all services that the UK introduce for facilitating Nikah, it requires the presence of two just men to witness the marriage contract.
While the marriage can be conducted online, the witnesses can also attend the marriage contract online and witness upon it. And the marriage is valid by this way.
Shahadah serves in marriage for preserving rights of both husband and wife, and for authenticating it.
5) Divorce
Such as the UK has facilitated Nikah, it has also facilitated the procedures of divorce in case that there is no way to reform between the spouses. However the Shari'ah urges for marriage and for preserving relations, it has also legalized divorce, but it is disliked. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The lawful thing which God hates most is divorce."
Just as in conducting marriage contract, the UK introduces services for completing the procedures of divorce. The husband should declare that his wife is divorced, and this is registered and both the spouses get an approved copy of the divorce form.
No witnesses are required in case of divorce, and also the same for the guardian of the wife. The husband applies for the divorce and pays the fee and then can go to the UK center held for marriage services to complete procedures of divorce. He can do this online like in case of marriage.
6) Islamic Divorce
While marriage is conducted according to the Islamic Shari'ah, the divorce should be conducted according to the Islamic Shari'ah as well. How?
The husband should divorce his wife by uttering or writing the word of divorce clearly. After the divorce, the wife should wait for some time until she can marry again, and this is called the Waiting Period or 'Iddah. This period differs from woman to another according to her state; whether she is pregnant or not, menstruating or not and so on. During this period, she cannot marry any other man, and her divorcing husband can take her back in marriage at any time even without her consent. And this is called Revocable Divorce.
The husband can divorce his wife twice and take her back while she is in her waiting period. But if the waiting period ends, he cannot take her back except with her consent and with new contract and dowry.
And after consuming two divorces, if the husband divorces his wife for a third time, he cannot take her back even if she has not finished her waiting period. If he wants to take her back again as a wife, she has first to marry another man, live with him, and if he dies or divorces her, then she can return to her ex-husband. And this is called the Irrevocable Divorce.
At the end, we can see clearly the various services that the UK introduces to facilitate both marriage and divorce, and its care to conduct both of them according to the Islamic Shari'ah
