Assalamu alaikum. I have seen your fatawa regarding conducting a marriage over the phone. However, would conducting a marriage via video-call be permissible? This way, the people involved could see each other and avoid impersonators, insha'Allah. If this is, in fact, permissible, what are some conditions that should be kept in mind for such a marriage?

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 is His slave and Messenger.

Marriage has its conditions and pillars, the most important of which is the 'Eejaab (proposal) which should be from the guardian of the wife or his representative, and the Qabool (acceptance) should be from the husband or his representative, the guardian and the witnesses.

If the marriage contract fulfills these conditions and pillars, then the marriage is valid.

However, conducting the contract without the presence of the two parties in one assembly, through modern means of communication, involves much ambiguity. For this reason, many scholars considered it to be invalid, and a decision was issued by the Fiqh Council to this effect.

Hence, if it is possible to appoint representatives so that the contract be held in one meeting with the presence of the two parties of the contract and two witnesses, whereby there would be an offer and acceptance and direct witnesses without the use of means of communication, then this would be better. Otherwise, some scholars are of the view that it is valid if it is free from manipulation and deception.

For more benefit on marriage through the phone, please refer to Fatawa 370909, 338692, 83629, and 133687.

For more benefit on the 'Eejaab (proposal) and the Qabool (acceptance), please refer to Fatawa 191833 and 259639.

Allah Knows best.