Ruling on Conducting a Nikah in the Mosque
By: Abu Ismaeel Abdul Ghaffar, Hyderabad, India
بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ، وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِ الْأَمِينِ، وَعَلَىٰ آلِهِ وَأَصْحَابِهِ، وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ، أَمَّا بَعْدُ:
Respected readers,
All the rulings related to Nikah have been explained by the Prophet ﷺ through authentic and sound chains of narration—for example: the permission of the guardian, the proposal and acceptance, the dowry (mahr), etc. However, regarding where the marriage contract should take place, none of the authentic narrations from the Prophet ﷺ mention a specific location.
Nevertheless, there are some narrations that mention performing the Nikah in the mosque, having the Nikah conducted in the mosque, or that the Nikah took place there.
In shā’ Allāh, we will mention these narrations and clarify the matter with the help of Allah ﷻ.
It is attributed to the Prophet ﷺ:
«أَعْلِنُوا هَذَا النِّكَاحَ، وَاجْعَلُوهُ فِي المَسَاجِدِ، وَاضْرِبُوا عَلَيْهِ بِالدُّفُوفِ»
Meaning:
"Announce this Nikah, conduct it in the mosques, and strike the duff upon it."
{
Jāmi‘ al-Tirmidhī, Book of Nikah, Chapter: What Has Been Mentioned About Announcing Nikah, Hadith 1089; also in Tārīkh Asbahān by Abū Nu‘aym, vol. 1, p. 214, no. 314; and al-Sunan al-Kubrā by al-Bayhaqī, Book of Dowry, vol. 7, p. 290, Hadith 14699.}
⚠ Note: The chain of this narration is weak because it contains the narrator ‘Īsā ibn Maymūn, who is weak. Therefore, this narration cannot be used as evidence.
Some scholars, however, based on this narration, have considered performing Nikah in the mosque as recommended—perhaps they regarded this narration as authentic. Allah knows best.
The trustworthy Tābi‘ī Ṣāliḥ Mawlā Taw‘amah (رحمه الله) said:
«رَأَى رَسُولُ اللّٰهِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ جَمَاعَةً فِي الْمَسْجِدِ، فَقَالَ: مَا هَذَا؟ قَالُوا: نِكَاحٌ، قَالَ: هَذَا النِّكَاحُ لَيْسَ بِالسِّفَاحِ»
Meaning:
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw a group of people gathered in the mosque and asked: ‘What is this?’ They said: ‘A Nikah.’ He said: ‘This Nikah is not fornication.’"
{ al-Muṣannaf by ‘Abd al-Razzāq, Book of Nikah, Chapter: Nikah in the Mosque, vol. 6, p. 187, Hadith 10448.}
⚠ Note: The chain of this narration is severely weak because it is mursal (disconnected), and its chain includes Ibn Jurayj (رحمه الله), who was a mudallis and did not state that he heard it directly. Although another narrator, Ibrāhīm ibn Muḥammad ibn Abī Yaḥyā al-Aslamī, supported it, he has been declared a liar and abandoned by hadith scholars. Therefore, it cannot be used as evidence.
The following narration explicitly states that a Nikah took place in the mosque and that it was conducted by the Prophet ﷺ himself:
Sahl ibn Sa‘d (رضي الله عنه) reported:
[Long narration in Arabic]
Meaning:
Sahl ibn Sa‘d (رضي الله عنه) said:
A woman came to the Prophet ﷺ while he was in the mosque and said: “O Messenger of Allah, I have come to gift myself to you.” The narrator said: The Prophet ﷺ looked at her and then lowered his head. She stood for a long time and then sat down. Then a man stood up wearing only an izār without a ridā’ and said: “O Messenger of Allah, if you have no need of her, then marry her to me.” The Prophet ﷺ asked: “Do you have anything (to give as a dowry)?” He said: “No.” The Prophet ﷺ said: “This is not appropriate. Go to your family (and find something).” He returned saying: “I found nothing.” The Prophet ﷺ said: “Even if it is an iron ring, bring it.” He searched again and found nothing. He had previously said: “Let my izār be between me and her (as dowry).” The Prophet ﷺ said: “How? If you give it to her, you will have no clothes, and if you wear it, she will have none.” The man stood for a while and then left. The Prophet ﷺ ordered for him to be called back and asked: “Do you know anything from the Qur’an?” He replied: “Yes, I know such-and-such sūrahs.” The Prophet ﷺ asked: “Do you recite them from memory?” He said: “Yes.” The Prophet ﷺ said: “I have married her to you for what you know of the Qur’an.”
{ al-Ziyādāt ‘alā Kitāb al-Muzanī, Book of Wills, p. 532–533, Hadith 552. Verified as authentic.}
This narration is also recorded in both brief and extended forms in: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (multiple places), Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Sunan Ibn Mājah, Sunan Abī Dāwūd, Jāmi‘ al-Tirmidhī, and Sunan al-Nasā’ī.
However, this narration does not prove that the Prophet ﷺ intentionally conducted the Nikah in the mosque. It appears to have happened coincidentally because the Prophet ﷺ was already there along with the man and woman. Hence, very few, if any, scholars used this narration to recommend conducting Nikah in the mosque—though some have cited it as evidence for its permissibility.
By: Abu Ismaeel Abdul Ghaffar, Hyderabad, India
Introduction
بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ، وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِ الْأَمِينِ، وَعَلَىٰ آلِهِ وَأَصْحَابِهِ، وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ، أَمَّا بَعْدُ:
Respected readers,
All the rulings related to Nikah have been explained by the Prophet ﷺ through authentic and sound chains of narration—for example: the permission of the guardian, the proposal and acceptance, the dowry (mahr), etc. However, regarding where the marriage contract should take place, none of the authentic narrations from the Prophet ﷺ mention a specific location.
Nevertheless, there are some narrations that mention performing the Nikah in the mosque, having the Nikah conducted in the mosque, or that the Nikah took place there.
In shā’ Allāh, we will mention these narrations and clarify the matter with the help of Allah ﷻ.
Narration 1
It is attributed to the Prophet ﷺ:
«أَعْلِنُوا هَذَا النِّكَاحَ، وَاجْعَلُوهُ فِي المَسَاجِدِ، وَاضْرِبُوا عَلَيْهِ بِالدُّفُوفِ»
Meaning:
"Announce this Nikah, conduct it in the mosques, and strike the duff upon it."
{
Jāmi‘ al-Tirmidhī, Book of Nikah, Chapter: What Has Been Mentioned About Announcing Nikah, Hadith 1089; also in Tārīkh Asbahān by Abū Nu‘aym, vol. 1, p. 214, no. 314; and al-Sunan al-Kubrā by al-Bayhaqī, Book of Dowry, vol. 7, p. 290, Hadith 14699.}⚠ Note: The chain of this narration is weak because it contains the narrator ‘Īsā ibn Maymūn, who is weak. Therefore, this narration cannot be used as evidence.
Some scholars, however, based on this narration, have considered performing Nikah in the mosque as recommended—perhaps they regarded this narration as authentic. Allah knows best.Narration 2
The trustworthy Tābi‘ī Ṣāliḥ Mawlā Taw‘amah (رحمه الله) said:
«رَأَى رَسُولُ اللّٰهِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ جَمَاعَةً فِي الْمَسْجِدِ، فَقَالَ: مَا هَذَا؟ قَالُوا: نِكَاحٌ، قَالَ: هَذَا النِّكَاحُ لَيْسَ بِالسِّفَاحِ»
Meaning:
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw a group of people gathered in the mosque and asked: ‘What is this?’ They said: ‘A Nikah.’ He said: ‘This Nikah is not fornication.’"
{
al-Muṣannaf by ‘Abd al-Razzāq, Book of Nikah, Chapter: Nikah in the Mosque, vol. 6, p. 187, Hadith 10448.}⚠ Note: The chain of this narration is severely weak because it is mursal (disconnected), and its chain includes Ibn Jurayj (رحمه الله), who was a mudallis and did not state that he heard it directly. Although another narrator, Ibrāhīm ibn Muḥammad ibn Abī Yaḥyā al-Aslamī, supported it, he has been declared a liar and abandoned by hadith scholars. Therefore, it cannot be used as evidence.
Narration 3
The following narration explicitly states that a Nikah took place in the mosque and that it was conducted by the Prophet ﷺ himself:
Sahl ibn Sa‘d (رضي الله عنه) reported:
[Long narration in Arabic]
Meaning:
Sahl ibn Sa‘d (رضي الله عنه) said:
A woman came to the Prophet ﷺ while he was in the mosque and said: “O Messenger of Allah, I have come to gift myself to you.” The narrator said: The Prophet ﷺ looked at her and then lowered his head. She stood for a long time and then sat down. Then a man stood up wearing only an izār without a ridā’ and said: “O Messenger of Allah, if you have no need of her, then marry her to me.” The Prophet ﷺ asked: “Do you have anything (to give as a dowry)?” He said: “No.” The Prophet ﷺ said: “This is not appropriate. Go to your family (and find something).” He returned saying: “I found nothing.” The Prophet ﷺ said: “Even if it is an iron ring, bring it.” He searched again and found nothing. He had previously said: “Let my izār be between me and her (as dowry).” The Prophet ﷺ said: “How? If you give it to her, you will have no clothes, and if you wear it, she will have none.” The man stood for a while and then left. The Prophet ﷺ ordered for him to be called back and asked: “Do you know anything from the Qur’an?” He replied: “Yes, I know such-and-such sūrahs.” The Prophet ﷺ asked: “Do you recite them from memory?” He said: “Yes.” The Prophet ﷺ said: “I have married her to you for what you know of the Qur’an.”
{
al-Ziyādāt ‘alā Kitāb al-Muzanī, Book of Wills, p. 532–533, Hadith 552. Verified as authentic.} This narration is also recorded in both brief and extended forms in: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (multiple places), Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Sunan Ibn Mājah, Sunan Abī Dāwūd, Jāmi‘ al-Tirmidhī, and Sunan al-Nasā’ī. However, this narration does not prove that the Prophet ﷺ intentionally conducted the Nikah in the mosque. It appears to have happened coincidentally because the Prophet ﷺ was already there along with the man and woman. Hence, very few, if any, scholars used this narration to recommend conducting Nikah in the mosque—though some have cited it as evidence for its permissibility.