Is My Nikah Valid After a Joke Proposal Six Years Ago?

Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch

Question

Six years ago, someone jokingly proposed a nikah between me and a boy without serious intent, and I don’t remember my response. No one involved recalls it clearly, and the boy denies it happened. I’ve repented, but I’m now engaged and worried—will my nikah be valid?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.

Your current marriage is valid. The joke marriage was invalid as it did not fulfill the conditions of a valid marriage contract. [Maydani, al-Lubab fi Sharh al-Kitab]

Congratulations on your current engagement. May Allah bless you both with great intentions and make it a blessed union.

Related

• Is My Nikah Valid if I Didn’t Verbally Say Qubul but Consented?
• Is Bride’s Consent Required for a Valid Nikah?
• Is a Divorce Valid If the Marriage Lacked Guardian Consent?
• Are Secret Marriages Permissible? – Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Hope this helps
Allah knows best
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a teacher of Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he went on to study at Darul Uloom Seminary in New York and completed his studies at Darul Mustafa in Tarim, Yemen.

There, he completed the memorization of the Quran and his study of Islamic Sciences. Throughout his years of study, he was blessed to learn from many great scholars: Habib Umar bin Hafiz, Habib Kazhim al-Saqqaf, Shaykh ‘Umar bin Husayn al-Khatib, and others.

Upon returning, he joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.