Charging a fee to have a Nikah performed in the Masjid

Question:-

Couples who want to have their Nikah performed in a particular Masjid are required to pay a large fee, whether the Nikah is performed by the Imaam of the Masjid, or another Aalim.
I don’t know what the money is used for or who it is paid to. Is it permissible to charge people?

Answer:-

It is not permissible for the trustees of a Masjid to charge the Nikah parties a fee for having the Nikah performed in the Masjid. We assume that the Ulama performing the Nikah are not charging the exorbitant fee, as the sincere Ulama and Imaams in our country generally do not charge a fee for performing Nikahs.

Marriage, or having one’s Nikah performed, has been kept as simple as possible in our Deen. If a boy proposes and the girl accepts in the presence of two male witnesses, or one male and two female witnesses, then the marriage will take place immediately. The recitation of the Khutbah of Nikah is Mustahab. This is the simplicity of Nikah in our Shariah.

In a narration of Musnad Ahmad, Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam is reported to have said, “Verily the Nikah with the most Barakah is that Nikah wherein the least expenses are incurred.” It is, therefore, totally incorrect for the Masjid committee to get the Nikah parties involved in unnecessary expenses which they are not entitled to receive. If the oppressive committee members are not willing to negotiate on the matter, then the Nikah should be performed at an alternative venue where the Nikah parties will be accommodated without having to incur any expenses.

نکاح خوانی کی رقم کا مسجد سے کوئی تعلق نہیں ہے ، اور مسجد والوں کو نکاح کے فریقین سے اجرت نکاح کا مطالبہ بے اصل ہے (کتاب النوازل ص۴۵۵ ج۱۲)

الأجرة انما تكون بمقابلة العمل (شامي ص307 ج4)

قال رسول الله صلي الله عليه وسلم : لا يحل لمسلم ان يأخذ مال أخيه بغير حق (مجمع الزوائد ص171 ج4)

ALLAH TA’ALA KNOWS BEST!

ANSWERED BY:

Mufti Mohammed Desai

Date: 22 Jumadal Ula 1444 / 17 December 2022