[VIDEO] Nikkah scenes, marriage in dramas valid in real life: Religious scholar

[FearlessRoar]

A video of religious scholars declaring that staged nikah ceremonies in TV dramas between actors constitute real marriages is circulating on social media.

Their statement has shocked many social media users, including celebrities who have often participated in such scenes and are now questioning its implications.

A group of religious scholars were participating in a Ramadan transmission on a private TV channel when one scholar raised a question for another. He inquired whether Nikkah ceremonies performed between actors in TV dramas could be considered valid marriages.

The cleric then responded, "Yes, certainly. If a nikah is performed in a TV drama scene with two witnesses present, then it will be considered a valid marriage."

https://twitter.com/x/status/1772300186968072317

What's your take on this?

 

[The Bald Eagle]

Yep i have heard that Marriage and Divorce can occur or end in Islam even when something is said in a casual manner.

 

[FearlessRoar]

Renowned model and actor Nadia Hussain recently took to her Instagram platform to address the controversial statement made by the religious scholar regarding the portrayal of nikkah in television dramas. In a candid and impassioned video, Nadia expressed her deep concerns regarding the scholar’s assertion, emphasizing that the depiction of marriage scenes in dramas is purely fictional.

Nadia adamantly argued that the dramatized portrayal of nikkah lacks the necessary legal and religious components essential for a valid marital contract.

Furthermore, Nadia underscored the potential danger of such statements from religious scholars being aired on television. She cautioned against the inadvertent legitimization of invalid marriages, which could set a dangerous precedent and lead to confusion among viewers.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

lol how come a nikah can take place while doing acting i think molana sahab has had some personal grudges with few actors

 

[FearlessRoar]

This is a very serious issue: Faysal Quraishi wants fatwa on nikkah on-screen

Is an on-screen nikkah valid off-screen? Faysal Quraishi thinks not. The Pakistani veteran actor is the latest to remark on the issue of the complexities surrounding the portrayal of nikkah scenes in dramas. The heated debate comes after a recent statement made by a religious scholar on a television show who maintained that if two actors enact a scene of nikkah in a drama, their marriage would be deemed valid in reality.

This assertion has stirred widespread controversy, with individuals from the entertainment industry and social media influencers weighing in on the matter. Faysal's comments were shared by his wife Sana Faysal, who posted a video on her Instagram Stories teasing the actor about the ruling and his numerous on-screen marriages.

"Regarding the scholar’s recent ruling that fictionalized nikkah proceedings in dramas and films are valid off-screen, you have been married 3-4 times in every recent drama of yours. By that calculation, you must have a lot of wives," Sana jokingly remarked in the video.

Faysal responded to the controversy with a measured approach, highlighting the importance of consulting religious scholars on such matters. "I raised a question on this to religious scholars in my program too," he explained. "They said that if the whole necessary protocol for nikkah is not followed, like the way nikkah is generally held, the way permission is sought and the word ‘nikkah’ is used…If these conditions are not met, then you are safe."

He further elaborated, “There are some words that necessitate certain protocols and being Muslims, we have to abide by them. When these nikkah scenes are being shot, we talk about random stuff with Maulana Sahab. He asks mid-way, ‘Qabool hai?’ and we say yes.”

Acknowledging the gravity of the issue, the Khaie actor emphasised the need for proper debate and clarification from religious authorities. "This is a very serious issue, we should not make light of this," he stated. "I think there should be a proper debate held on this. I will reach out to my friends who are clerics and scholars because it’s very important that we have a fatwa on this."

Earlier, model and actor Nadia Hussain took to her Instagram to express her concerns regarding the declaration. In a lengthy video shared on her Instagram account, Nadia was visibly shocked by the scholar's viewpoint. She highlighted that the portrayal of nikkah in dramas is purely fictional.

She further pointed out the use of fake names, witnesses, and signatures in these fictional scenarios, asserting that the entire setting is not conducive to a legitimate marriage ceremony. Nadia further argued that such statements from religious scholars on television could potentially set a dangerous precedent by incorrectly legitimising invalid marriages.

Faysal Quraishi wants fatwa on nikkah on-screen | The Express Tribune

Actor emphasised the need for proper debate and clarification from religious authorities

www.google.com

 

[FearlessRoar]

lol how come a nikah can take place while doing acting i think molana sahab has had some personal grudges with few actors

Hahaha, even some actors and actresses are in awe that they now have many spouses.

 

[PakLFC]

I agree with the scholars. If the full nikah ceremony has taken place on screen then that is proper marriage. There is no Qurainic verse or hadith of their being an exception for actors, films or drama's.

 

[FearlessRoar]

If we look at Bollywood movies, they either cover nikah scenes with music from songs or simply show the couple saying 'qabool hai.' So, I guess Pakistani dramas can follow suit. It will keep controversy away.

 

[FearlessRoar]

Renowned model and actor Nadia Hussain recently took to her Instagram platform to address the controversial statement made by the religious scholar regarding the portrayal of nikkah in television dramas. In a candid and impassioned video, Nadia expressed her deep concerns regarding the scholar’s assertion, emphasizing that the depiction of marriage scenes in dramas is purely fictional.

Nadia adamantly argued that the dramatized portrayal of nikkah lacks the necessary legal and religious components essential for a valid marital contract.

Furthermore, Nadia underscored the potential danger of such statements from religious scholars being aired on television. She cautioned against the inadvertent legitimization of invalid marriages, which could set a dangerous precedent and lead to confusion among viewers.

I agree with her. Nikkah in dramas doesn't have any legal or religious components necessary for a real nikkah. That's why reel and real are two different things.

 

[IMMY69]

And what about intention?

 

[BunnyRabbit]

This is a very serious issue: Faysal Quraishi wants fatwa on nikkah on-screen

Is an on-screen nikkah valid off-screen? Faysal Quraishi thinks not. The Pakistani veteran actor is the latest to remark on the issue of the complexities surrounding the portrayal of nikkah scenes in dramas. The heated debate comes after a recent statement made by a religious scholar on a television show who maintained that if two actors enact a scene of nikkah in a drama, their marriage would be deemed valid in reality.

This assertion has stirred widespread controversy, with individuals from the entertainment industry and social media influencers weighing in on the matter. Faysal's comments were shared by his wife Sana Faysal, who posted a video on her Instagram Stories teasing the actor about the ruling and his numerous on-screen marriages.

"Regarding the scholar’s recent ruling that fictionalized nikkah proceedings in dramas and films are valid off-screen, you have been married 3-4 times in every recent drama of yours. By that calculation, you must have a lot of wives," Sana jokingly remarked in the video.

Faysal responded to the controversy with a measured approach, highlighting the importance of consulting religious scholars on such matters. "I raised a question on this to religious scholars in my program too," he explained. "They said that if the whole necessary protocol for nikkah is not followed, like the way nikkah is generally held, the way permission is sought and the word ‘nikkah’ is used…If these conditions are not met, then you are safe."

He further elaborated, “There are some words that necessitate certain protocols and being Muslims, we have to abide by them. When these nikkah scenes are being shot, we talk about random stuff with Maulana Sahab. He asks mid-way, ‘Qabool hai?’ and we say yes.”

Acknowledging the gravity of the issue, the Khaie actor emphasised the need for proper debate and clarification from religious authorities. "This is a very serious issue, we should not make light of this," he stated. "I think there should be a proper debate held on this. I will reach out to my friends who are clerics and scholars because it’s very important that we have a fatwa on this."

Earlier, model and actor Nadia Hussain took to her Instagram to express her concerns regarding the declaration. In a lengthy video shared on her Instagram account, Nadia was visibly shocked by the scholar's viewpoint. She highlighted that the portrayal of nikkah in dramas is purely fictional.

She further pointed out the use of fake names, witnesses, and signatures in these fictional scenarios, asserting that the entire setting is not conducive to a legitimate marriage ceremony. Nadia further argued that such statements from religious scholars on television could potentially set a dangerous precedent by incorrectly legitimising invalid marriages.

Faysal Quraishi wants fatwa on nikkah on-screen | The Express Tribune

Actor emphasised the need for proper debate and clarification from religious authorities

www.google.com

this is the only measured response i have seen here. The social media and pseudoliberals like to demonize Islamic scholars based on the statements and acts of pseudoscholars and celebrity scholars. Aalim e deen require a specific course for i think 8 years from a proper teaching site i think. A lot of "scholars" we see on the tv are not them.

 

[hassan918]

Drama actors don't use their original names and their original parents' names so i am not sure how the Nikkah comes valid in such a scenario.

 

[Justcrazy]

First of all acting itself is prohibited .

Secondly , that is not real , those who are involved are acting. The components for valid nikah is not present.

 

[Buzzinga]

Lol. If this is followed seriously in India including Hindu marriages, Bollywood actors(including web series, TV serials) will have hundreds of spouses..

 

[Buzzinga]

Lol. If this is followed seriously in India including Hindu marriages, Bollywood actors(including web series, TV serials) will have hundreds of spouses..

Also they'd lose count of whose husband/wife is married to how many others.

 

[Pakpak]

While the world is heading to space its good to see our country debating on things that will put us on that path

 

[DeadlyVenom]

While the world is heading to space its good to see our country debating on things that will put us on that path

These types of Molvis have been on another planet for decades

 

[LordJames]

Nikah in Islam is a legal contract and like any other legal contract it should not be used in Jest or joked about and there is ample legal precedence of signed contract in Jest being valid!

 

[Cricket Warrior]

And what about intention?

Nikah is solely based on intention... just on the TC saying "Qabool hai" doesn't mean the nikah is spiritually completed.

 

[LordJames]

Nikah is solely based on intention... just on the TC saying "Qabool hai" doesn't mean the nikah is spiritually completed.

My earlier post was edited by Moderators otherwise it had the answer to your question. I do not believe that there was anything questionable in it but happy for Moderators to contact me to let me know why it was edited. Discussions and disagreements are part of life and should be freely allowed on the forum.​

Nikah is a Legal Contract:

It is well known fact that "Nikah" is a contract between parties in Islam, this is so well known and established that I will skip the references and you can google to read up on the issue from any Islamic site.

Contract is binding between two parties and it is not based on Intention. The simplest way for anyone to understand in terms of a loan agreement and the only condition stipulated about it in the Qur'aan is for it to be written down, there are many places where it is mentioned and here is a clear reference:

[2:282] O believers! When you contract a loan for a fixed period of time, commit it to writing. Let the scribe maintain justice between the parties.

A legal contract does not rely on Intentions for its execution, let me give you two examples:

1. If I want to scam you by borrowing money even if my intention is clear but I enter a contract with you then Islamic legal system will consider the terms of the legal contract and not my contract.
2. If a person is a gold digger and marries to swindle someone out of their money then again the "Nikah" would be valid and there are many cases like it

Intention for contracts will be judged on the day on Judgement and person be rewarded based on their intention but the legality of it does not depend upon Intention.

Even when it comes to acts of worship, intention in many cases does not matter. An example is a person going to make Wudhu but falls into a swimming pool and gets fully drenched then Wudhu is complete and no need to make an extra Wudhu. This is a comical example to illustrate a point that even in an act of worship, intention is not always necessary since the person did not make Intention to either make Wudhu or fall into a swimming pool.

Nikah is valid in Jest

Since Nikah is entering into a contract and Talaq is breaking out of a contract, they are both valid even when someone is joking and it an accepted matter in Islam.

روى أَبِو هُرَيْرَةَ رضي الله عنه قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: (ثَلاثٌ جِدُّهُنَّ جِدٌّ وَهَزْلُهُنَّ جِدٌّ: النِّكَاحُ، وَالطَّلاقُ، وَالرَّجْعَةُ) رواه أبو داود (2194) ، والترمذي (1184) ، وابن ماجه (2039)​

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “There are three matters in which seriousness is serious and joking is serious: marriage, divorce and taking back (one’s wife).” Narrated by Abu Daawood (2194), at-Tirmidhi (1184), and Ibn Maajah (2039)

Contract Validity while Joking in Virginia Supreme Court Judgement

When a contract is done between two parties then the excuse "I was joking" is not valid according to many legal experts, here is an example from 1954 Virginia Supreme Court judgement "Lucy vs Zehmer"

Lucy v. Zehmer

A contract is enforceable if one party reasonably believes that the other party has sufficient intent to enter into the agreement, even if the other party actually does not.

law.justia.com

Zehmer signed a contract on a "Tissue Paper" and later tried to get out by saying that it was a Joke, he wasn't expected Lucy to come with the money but this was not accepted as an excuse by the Virginia Supreme Court

How to look at the issue?

Nikah is an Islamic command so it needs to be evaluated according to Islamic principles. We can't take an Islamic concept and then apply our own reasoning or Christian teachings or look at it from Hindu scriptures etc, that would not make any sense just like you wouldn't take Fasting in Ramadhan and then apply the lens of Judaism on it.

Nikah and divorce in Islam is serious business and shouldn't be played around with.

Are actors actually married or divorced?

No idea!

I am discussing the issue from an Academic perspective, the application of it should be checked with a competent Jurist (Mufti)

Just like "Lucy vs Zehmer" is a valid legal precedence in US law but its application on a case-by-case basis is upto the Judge and evaluation of the circumstances.

 

[Mockingbird]

Nikah in Islam is a legal contract and like any other legal contract it should not be used in Jest or joked about and there is ample legal precedence of signed contract in Jest being valid!

But how is the Nikah valid if the character names are not real? If X actor was playing character ‘A’ & Y actor was playing character ‘B’ & they got married on screen & signed a document with their character names, is now X married to Y or is A married to B?

 

[LordJames]

But how is the Nikah valid if the character names are not real? If X actor was playing character ‘A’ & Y actor was playing character ‘B’ & they got married on screen & signed a document with their character names, is now X married to Y or is A married to B?

Because the person is accepting a contract in front of witnesses so whether they are called "Mohammad Ali" or "Daisy" is irrelevant., would the Nikah of "Mohammad Ali" be invalid if he is referred to in his Nikah as "Daisy"?

Problem occurs when the conditions of contract signing have ambiguity so we need to focus on the contract conditions and not because it is in a TV drama.

Again, I am not saying that the Nikah between two actors is valid as that is the domain of a Jurist to declare.

You may well be right that the conditions of contract maybe invalid i.e. they are actors and its not real etc. In fact, I think that if a competent legal Jurist is contacted then it may well well be invalid, don't know...

I am suggesting to steer clear of creating unnecessary controversies and edit the script to ensure that script does not clash with Islamic teachings.

All am I saying is don't play around with Nikah and Talaq and I have given Islamic & (Secular) legal reasons why contract law is complex.

 

[LordJames]

What happens when a Actor calls another actress "His Mother"?

Nothing!

Because parenthood in Islam is not established by calling someone mother, it is either by biological link or by fostering before the age of 2.

What happens when a Actor adopts another actor as a child?

Nothing!

 

[Mockingbird]

Because the person is accepting a contract in front of witnesses so whether they are called "Mohammad Ali" or "Daisy" is irrelevant., would the Nikah of "Mohammad Ali" be invalid if he is referred to in his Nikah as "Daisy"?

Problem occurs when the conditions of contract signing have ambiguity so we need to focus on the contract conditions and not because it is in a TV drama.

Again, I am not saying that the Nikah between two actors is valid as that is the domain of a Jurist to declare.

You may well be right that the conditions of contract maybe invalid i.e. they are actors and its not real etc. In fact, I think that if a competent legal Jurist is contacted then it may well well be invalid, don't know...

I am suggesting to steer clear of creating unnecessary controversies and edit the script to ensure that script does not clash with Islamic teachings.

All am I saying is don't play around with Nikah and Talaq and I have given Islamic & (Secular) legal reasons why contract law is complex.

I am not familiar with the Nikah requirements, but basically you are saying that a Nikah is contractually valid even if the nikahnama has falsified names of the bride/groom and even the witnesses?

Thank god such pronouncements are not made in India - I would imagine the legal mess created between actors of all religions participating in on-screen rituals!

 

[KingKhanWC]

And what about intention?

Also those people are characters, they don’t exist .

Another example of why Pakistan is a mess .

 

[LordJames]

I am not familiar with the Nikah requirements, but basically you are saying that a Nikah is contractually valid even if the nikahnama has falsified names of the bride/groom and even the witnesses?

Thank god such pronouncements are not made in India - I would imagine the legal mess created between actors of all religions participating in on-screen rituals!

Nikah in Islam is basically Ejaab and Qubool, in laymen terms it is a man and woman accepting to be husband and wife in front of two witnesses and then the contract is valid.
​

1. These two people categorically state the reason for their gathering (to get into Nikah)​
2. These two people categorically accept to get into Nikah​
3. Two adults witness 1 & 2​

Contract is now valid but imagine someone cheats and gives wrong names or wrong details or hides critical information then a Judge can announce the contract to be Null & Void and in Islamic terminology it is called Faskh (of Nikah) meaning annulment of Nikah contract and this isn't a divorce but annulment of contract.

It is pretty much how any contracts work e.g. if a party is misleading then a Judge decides for the contract to be null & void.

No difference in how contracts work in Islam.

The only issue which people need to wrap their heads around is that "joking/acting" does not prevent you from getting into a contract (of Nikah). The script can be easily edited to avoid confusion.

Its an Islamic contract so needs to be evaluated using Islamic principles.

When it comes to specific cases e.g Actor A acting (fulfilling conditions 1, 2 & 3) with Actress B then it needs to be taken to an Islamic Jurist to rule on specifics.

My job is to make the issue plain and clear as to why it shouldn't be played around with during acting.​

 

[LordJames]

I am not familiar with the Nikah requirements, but basically you are saying that a Nikah is contractually valid even if the nikahnama has falsified names of the bride/groom and even the witnesses?

Thank god such pronouncements are not made in India - I would imagine the legal mess created between actors of all religions participating in on-screen rituals!

In case of India a Hindu and Muslim cannot be Islamically married in a Nikah no matter what. A Muslim girl cannot be married to a Non-Muslim man, no matter what.

Again, we are discussing what constitutes a legal Nikah in Islam and not egalitarian or gender issues which is a different topic

We are also not discussing how people feel etc, this is a about validity of Islamic contract of Nikah from an Islamic legal standpoint