' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalaim Alaikum

Brother Burhan, I wanted to ask you question about nikaah in Islam.

Once the Nikaah is done in masjid (or at home, hall, etc.) is there any other ceremony that needs to be done before the couples are considered married. 

My fiancé is coming from India and we are going to do nikaah here(because we have to be married within three months for him to receive greencard in USA) but because my whole family is in India my parents wants to go back and do the Waalima etc. there after may be a year. so no bidai(rukhsat) will be done here when we get the nikaah done.  Will we be considered married and can have relationship as husband and wife or do we have to have the waalima and bidai done before we are actually considered married?  JazakAllah!

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Is Rukhsati must after Nika’ah?

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His  forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Once the Nikaah is done, the husband and wife are legal for each other, and they may enjoy the relationship that Allah has made legal for them. To do the Walima or marriage feast is a preferred Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws), and one must do so according to his means. The Walima or the ‘bidai’ has no bearings on the validity of the marriage or the relationship between a husband and a wife.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan