How many witnesses are needed for a marriage?

In the Hanafi madhhab, two men, or one man and two women. The witnesses must hear the ijab-qabul and must be Muslim, adult and sound of mind.

Is reciting the khutbah obligatory?

Reciting the khutbah at a wedding is Sunnah, not obligatory. The nikah is valid without it, but it is better to recite it in accordance with the Sunnah.

Pillars and Conditions of Marriage: Ijab-Qabul, Witnesses and Khutbah

Marriage is a Shariah contract. For a contract to be valid there are certain pillars (core elements) and conditions. Knowing them saves one from many mistakes and doubts, especially abroad, on a video call, or in legal complications. The discussion below is given briefly in light of Hanafi fiqh.

Note: For details and special situations, take the advice of a qualified mufti.

The pillars of nikah: ijab and qabul

Between the groom or his representative and the bride or her wali / representative, a proposal from one side (ijab) and acceptance by the other (qabul). The conditions:

Clear words expressing marriage (such as "I give in marriage" / "I accept").
Sentences in the past or present tense — not a promise for the future (such as "I will give in marriage").
Ijab-qabul in the same session.
The ijab-qabul being audible to the witnesses.
Unconditional and not time-limited (a temporary marriage is haram).

Conditions for the groom and bride

Both adult and of sound mind (in the case of a minor, the wali's role and the Shariah / legal limits are to be considered).
The consent of both (The role of the wali (guardian)).
No prohibited relationships: mother, sister, daughter, milk relationships, two sisters together, etc. (Surah An-Nisa 4:23).
No existing marriage bond / iddah (Widow marriage).
A Muslim groom for a Muslim woman.

Witnesses: who and how many

In the Hanafi madhhab, for a valid marriage at least two male witnesses, or one man and two women, must be present. They must be Muslim, adult, of sound mind and must hear the words of ijab-qabul. Although it may be possible to marry secretly by saying "two witnesses", public announcement is the Sunnah. See Is a secret second marriage permissible?.

Mahr

Mahr is not a condition for the marriage to be valid, but becomes obligatory as a result of the marriage. If it is not mentioned, the mahr of equivalent standing (mahr al-mithl) is obligatory. Details: What mahr is and how much.

The marriage khutbah (Khutbat al-Hajah)

Narrated from Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him), the Messenger of Allah ﷺ taught us the khutbah of need: (Sunan Abi Dawud 2118; Jami' at-Tirmidhi 1105)

إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ، وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا، مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ، وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ

All praise is for Allah; we praise Him, seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our own selves. Whomever Allah guides, none can lead astray, and whomever He leads astray, none can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, He is One, He has no partner; and I bear witness that Muhammad ﷺ is His servant and Messenger.

After this, three verses are recited: Surah Al Imran 3:102, Surah An-Nisa 4:1, Surah Al-Ahzab 33:70–71.

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًا كَثِيرًا وَنِسَاءً

O mankind! Fear your Lord who created you from a single person and created from it its mate, and from the two of them spread many men and women. — (Surah An-Nisa, 4:1 — in part)

The du'a for the newlyweds

بَارَكَ اللَّهُ لَكَ، وَبَارَكَ عَلَيْكَ، وَجَمَعَ بَيْنَكُمَا فِي خَيْرٍ

May Allah bless you, shower blessings upon you and keep you both together in good. — (Sunan Abi Dawud 2130; Jami' at-Tirmidhi 1091)

The du'a taught for the husband at the beginning of the wedding night:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ خَيْرَهَا وَخَيْرَ مَا جَبَلْتَهَا عَلَيْهِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّهَا وَشَرِّ مَا جَبَلْتَهَا عَلَيْهِ

O Allah! I ask You for her good and the good that is in her nature, and I seek refuge in You from her evil and the evil that is in her nature. — (Sunan Abi Dawud 2160; Sunan Ibn Majah 1918)

Marriage abroad / by video call?

There are discussions of the jurists on this: that the session of acceptance be united, the witnesses be present and hear, and the identity of the parties be confirmed. For caution, it is safe to appoint a representative (wakil) and complete the nikah in the presence of witnesses. The matter is also tied to registration from the legal side — see The Nikahnama and marriage registration.

In brief

Element	Ruling
Ijab-qabul	Pillar
Witnesses	Two men / 1 man + 2 women (Hanafi)
Mahr	Fixing it is better; obligatory as a result of marriage
Khutbah	Sunnah
Walimah	Sunnah (Walimah and simple marriage)

What the "session" before the marriage should be like

Let the place be pure and modest (a home, mosque or hall).
Ensure the wali, two witnesses, the groom / his representative and a way for the bride to give her consent.
An imam or scholar can conduct the khutbah and the ijab-qabul.
Let the words of ijab-qabul be clear and audible to all; to remove doubt, ask either party to repeat the words if necessary.

The risk of wrong words or unclear sentences

"I'll try", "I will marry", "let me see" — future or conditional sentences like these are not enough as ijab-qabul. In the marriage session use only specific sentences in the past or present tense (such as "I have accepted"). If necessary, practise beforehand with a scholar.

Caution in choosing witnesses

If the witnesses are trustworthy and known, proof is easy in a future dispute.
Have their names and contact details written correctly in the Kabinnama (Nikahnama).
Ensure that the witnesses hear; being far away or in noise can cause a problem.

The question of online nikah and video calls

Because of living abroad or distance, many raise the question of an online nikah. Its validity depends on the idea of the same session, the presence of witnesses, confirmation of identity and legal registration. Do not conduct such a nikah without a fatwa from a qualified mufti, and first confirm how the legal registration will be done (Marriage of expatriates).

What to do right after the marriage

A du'a and good wishes for the newlyweds.
Keep a written record of the mahr.
A copy of the Kabinnama with both parties.
A simple plan for the walimah (Walimah).

See the full preparation for marriage in the pre-marriage checklist. For help with a Shariah-compliant nikah, contact us.

Pillars, Conditions, Witnesses and Khutbah of Marriage: What You Must Know for a Valid Nikah