FAQs
How do I make sure my marriage is legal?
Get married legally abroad.
Get married in a registered venue e.g. mosque, hotel, hall.
Get married in a Registry Office and then have the religious ceremony.
A Muslim marriage is a civil contract, NOT a religious one.
An Imam is not needed and any Muslim can perform the Nikah .
The essential ingredient is that it is a public declaration and both parties consent.
A civil ceremony is acceptable if it is performed before 2 Muslim witnesses; it should then be followed by a religious ceremony to set the Mahr (Islamic financial settlement) and any other agreed contract terms (wife keeping her surname; keeping her own property and income; polygamy not allowed; ‘Tafweed’ - the wife’s right to divorce). Quranic verses are read to bless the marriage.
This marriage provides enforceable financial protection because the husband is solely responsible for supporting the wife and children during the marriage and after his death.
Can I have an unregistered religious marriage abroad?
In most Muslim countries, it is against the law to have a religious ceremony but not register it. The penalties are a fine or imprisonment. This is because it is essential to be able to prove you are married. In the UK, only 3 faiths have to register their marriages (Anglicans, Jews, Quakers). Others can volunteer to register but only 10% of Mosques perform legally recognised marriages (less every year).
Is my marriage which took place in Bangladesh recognised in the UK?
As well as the nikah nama, a notary certificate has been produced by a lawyer in Bangladesh which is used as marriage evidence. This is the same certificate my spouse used to apply to the home office to obtain his British citizenship. I have not had a civil ceremony in this country. Can assume that this certificate would be legally recognised in this country?
A Nikah or other religious ceremony is recognised as legal in the UK, as long as it was registered in the country where it took place (you do not register it again in the UK). You need to get a legal divorce in the UK in order to remarry (with some exceptions e.g. the spouse lives abroad).
The same religious ceremony is NOT recognised if it was performed in the UK, but not registered. It has no legal status and you can get married to someone else legally.
The essential ingredient is the registration, not the ceremony.
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Testimonials
I have supported this campaign for the past few years and it has made a real difference on the ground. It is led by credible people who are known to the community and I wish it every success.
I am delighted to be supporting ROM because the Catholic church also has to volunteer to register their marriages and we want all faiths to be covered under marriage law equally.
ROM's works are absolutely crucial to safeguarding women of all faith backgrounds from the pain and abuse a non-registered marriage can lead to. We are honoured to be supporting their fantastic efforts to ensure women feel safe, secure and protected by all agencies, when and if they choose to marry.
I am privileged to be supporting such an important campaign that seeks to raise awareness of the importance of registering a marriage, based on the principles of justice, respect and equality; principles that are central to my faith and personal values.
It would be great to have a similar movement in the US as unfortunately, we see a fair amount of Islamic marriages without legalization with the intent to deprive a woman of her rights by law.
I am fully in support of this important initiative to require religious marriages to be registered under the law and offer the same safeguards and protection to all faith communities alike.
Thank you for all the hard work you have done for bringing the ROM and other topics to life and the need to carry on and network with more and more as we go along.