perform the Rukhsati some time after performing the Nikah

Q. A person said that it is a practice invented by the Tabligh-e-Jama'ah to perform the Rukhsati (the ceremony of sending the wife to her husband) some time after performing the Nikah, and that this practice is not Islamic. Moreover, he claims that his son will go to his fiancée's house on certain specific occasions and will get married two years later. What is your opinion?

Answer: This person is clearly mistaken and does not know the true teachings of Islam. First, he should be informed that performing the Nikah followed by the Rukhsati after some time is a practice that goes back to Rasulullah (Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wasallam) himself. In fact, Rasulullah (Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wasallam) contracted the Nikah with Hadhrat 'Aisha (radiyallahu anha) when she was seven years old, but they did not live together until she was nine. This clearly demonstrates that there was a period of separation after the Nikah.

There is nothing to indicate that this practice is exclusive to Rasulullah (Sallallaahu 'Alaihi Wasallam). Moreover, there is no evidence in the Shari'ah that prohibits it. Therefore, in the absence of any proof to the contrary, the practice remains permissible. After all, the Shari'ah does not prescribe a specific period after Nikah during which the spouses must begin living together. The couple is free to decide when they will start living together.

This practice is therefore indeed Islamic, and it is a practice of Rasulullah (Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wasallam). Associating this practice with the Tabligh-e-Jama'ah is certainly a source of honour and a great merit for those who adhere to this Jama'ah, to whom Allah has granted the taufiq to remain within the limits of the Shari'ah and to practise the Sunnahs of our beloved Nabi-e-Karim (Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wasallam).

The Tabligh-e-Jama'ah has never stated that one must necessarily remain separated after the Nikah. It is only to address the current situation that the Ulama have indicated a way to avoid zina. Normally, in Mauritius, it is customary to perform the Nikah one or two years after the engagement. What occurs in the meantime between the 'engaged' during this period of "dating" is nothing but sin — and worse, it is committed with the complicity of both families and the appreciation and approval of the public. To protect Muslims from these haraam practices, the Ulama have very wisely recommended performing the Nikah immediately, and delaying the Rukhsati, so that the preparation period does not pass in haraam, as is the case with the period of 'dating'. This is because once the Nikah has been concluded, any intimate contact between the partners becomes halaal.

It is important here to highlight the claim that "dating within the family" is permissible. Clearly, this is an incorrect statement that reflects helplessness in confronting the reality. In truth, it is a surrender to public opinion. Intermingling between the two opposite sexes (ghair-mahrams) is absolutely haraam. As long as Nikah has not been performed, it is strictly forbidden for the partners to see each other. The same ruling applies to the so-called practice of meeting on certain specific occasions. It is therefore evident that the person who has opposed this practice — of performing Nikah before Rukhsati — has not only opposed the Tabligh-e-Jama'ah, but has also opposed the Sunnah. He has behaved like one who follows the customs of the mushrik and the kaafir, and as an adherent of the Dajjaal-i-Jama'ah. He must, at all costs, make taubah.

Some people argue that delaying the Rukhsati after Nikah can be disadvantageous, as sometimes the boy may break off the relationship before the Rukhsati and abandon the girl. However, in reality, this happens more frequently among those who practise "dating". Furthermore, if the partners have engaged in sexual intercourse after the Nikah but before the Rukhsati, there is no sin in the eyes of Allah Ta'ala. If, in the rare instance, the Nikah is broken before the Rukhsati, it is easier for the girl to remarry, as she has not committed any form of misconduct. On the other hand, if the engagement is broken, it is often more difficult for the girl to receive another marriage proposal, as everyone is aware of what takes place nowadays after engagement. Ultimately, success in this world and the Aakhirah lies in obedience to Allah Ta'ala and in following the tariqah (path) of Rasulullah (Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wasallam).

In short, the practice adopted by the Tabligh-e-Jama'ah is entirely within the framework of Islamic principles. Moreover, it is a source of merit in this modern era, in which so-called "scholars of Deen" prefer to adopt and approve satanic customs and immorality at the expense of pure, simple, and above all, ISLAMIC practices.

[English version of "Faire le Roukhsati quelque temps après avoir fait le nikaah" – Al Haadi – Vol. 2 No. 9,10]