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A mosque imam annulling a valid unofficiated marriage
Question
What is the ruling on a mosque imam annulling a valid but unregistered marriage?
I am a Muslim of American origin and nationality. I married an Arab woman, and the marriage contract was conducted in accordance with Islamic law, fulfilling all its integrals of the offer and acceptance by her guardian and myself, and the presence of two witnesses. However, after the marriage was concluded according to Islamic law but before the contract was officially registered, her family insisted on divorcing her from me. They took her to a mosque imam in their city, threatened her, and warned her of consequences should she insist on remaining in the marriage. She then stated that, given her family’s wishes and her concern about alienating them, she does not wish to continue in the marriage.
Fearing a family conflict, the mosque imam declared the marriage void. I did not divorce her, neither in Arabic nor in any other language. Considering that she neither sought a khul’ nor did I consent to the decision to end the marriage, is she still my wife?
Answer
What is the ruling on a mosque imam annulling a valid but unregistered marriage?
I am a Muslim of American origin and nationality. I married an Arab woman, and the marriage contract was conducted in accordance with Islamic law, fulfilling all its integrals of the offer and acceptance by her guardian and myself, and the presence of two witnesses. However, after the marriage was concluded according to Islamic law but before the contract was officially registered, her family insisted on divorcing her from me. They took her to a mosque imam in their city, threatened her, and warned her of consequences should she insist on remaining in the marriage. She then stated that, given her family’s wishes and her concern about alienating them, she does not wish to continue in the marriage.
Fearing a family conflict, the mosque imam declared the marriage void. I did not divorce her, neither in Arabic nor in any other language. Considering that she neither sought a khul’ nor did I consent to the decision to end the marriage, is she still my wife?
