Consummated marriage before Walimah

21-7-2003 | IslamWeb

Question:

I married a Muslim girl. After we married and few months before the wedding we slept together and we did what a husband and wife does, (without the knowledge of our families). Is there any mistake in such things? She is my wife and all people know that, but still we did not make the wedding.

---

Answer:

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions. If all the conditions of a valid marriage contract like consent of the guardian, the witnesses, etc. have been met, there is no sin if the consummation of marriage occurs before the Walimah. Even most scholars are of the view that, the best thing is to consummate the marriage before Walimah. Al-Khateeb Ash-Sharbeenee who was a Shafi'ee scholar said, The best thing is to have Walimah after the consummation of the marriage, because the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) did not do the Walimah in his marriage to any of his wives until after the consummation . Sheikhul Islam Ibn Taymiyah said, The time of Walimah and its form indicate that it is done after the consummation . Al-Mirdaawee , who is also a Hambali scholar said in his book Al-Insaaf: The preferred time for Walimah is extended from the time the marriage contract is done till the end of the bridal days [i.e. seven days if the bride is virgin and three days if she is a previously married woman] because of the authentic narrations and because of the maximum happiness that is attained after the consummation. However, it has been people's habit to do the Walimah just before the consummation . Al-'Adawee , who is a Maaliki scholar said in his commentary on Sharh Al-Kharashee, It is better that the Walimah is done after the consummation of the marriage . Allah knows best.