There are scholars who prostrate to their shaykh, and then they perform people's marriages and read the sermon of the marriage. Is their involment haram or halal in people's marriages given that they perform Shirk (polytheism) and then do so? Are those marriages halal or haram? Please advise.

All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

Prostrating to other than Allah is prohibited without a doubt, and it may take the doer out of the fold of Islam if it is done as an act of worship (rather than a show of respect). An-Nawawi wrote, “What many of the ignorant people do of prostrating before shaykhs is definitely prohibited in all cases, whether it is facing towards the Qiblah or otherwise, and whether the intention is to prostrate to Allah, the Exalted, or it is done out of heedlessness. In some cases, it constitutes disbelief or almost does.”

Hawaashi At-Tuhfah reads, “It is understood that prostrating oneself to anyone other than Allah may be considered an act of disbelief taking the Muslim out of the fold of Islam if it is done as an act of worship to a created being or drawing close to him/it. It may be only prohibited (and not an act of disbelief) if it is performed as a gesture of veneration and showing submission and humility or no specific intention is held. The same applies to prostrating oneself before the parents and scholars.”

For more benefit, please refer to fatwa 87244.

In any case, the fact that those who prostrate themselves before their shaykhs also recite the sermon of marriage and conduct the marriage contract does not affect the validity of the marriage contract as long as the conditions for the validity of the marriage contract are met and its pillars are observed as per the Shariah. However, it is an obligation to explain to them that what they are doing is haraam (impermissible) and that it may count as an act of major Kufr (disbelief). If they refuse to accept the advice and stop committing this sinful act, they should not be chosen to recite the wedding sermon or conduct the marriage contract. Rather, righteous and knowledgeable Muslims should be given precedence in this task.

Allah knows best.