Mahram, What if you dont have one? Options

[natasha]

As salamualikyum

I have a revert friend who is getting married soon but of course her family is non muslim so she doesnt have a mahram.

We spoke to an imam but i dont think what he said is correct he said " it doesnt matter if your father isnt muslim he can still be your mahram"

im pretty sure the above advise is incorrect as far as i know the mahram must be muslim and you need one to get married.

So what should my friend do? she wants a mahram who she can turn to if she ever has a problem in her marriage, is the imam the best person for this? or some other muslim man that she will be able to speak openly to?

[Aamina]

Walaikum Salam sister Natasha,

If she doesn't have a mahram for the arrangements of her marriage then the Imam of her closest locality and of the same faith as her should be the wali.

"If they dispute, then the sultan (man in authority) is the wali of those who have no wali."
[Dawud 2078, Narrated 'Aisha , also related by Tirmidhi and others]

I hope this helps, (IMG:http://www.gawaher.com/style_emoticons/default/i.gif) another brother or sister can provide more information regarding this matter.

(IMG:http://www.gawaher.com/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Salam and du'as, your sis in Islam

[umAhmad]

Assalamu alaikum natasha, I think what you are talking about are 2 different issues.

MAHRAM AND WALI

Mahram (these are blood relations that Allah has made and will not change).

Wali is a Muslim Guardian who will stand by the girl at the time of Marriage.

Your Revert friend's Father will be her MAHRAM, even though he might not be a Muslim, The relations that Allah has made stay, even though one may accept Islam and the others in the family do not. And your Revert friend should treat her mahrams (Father , Brother, Uncles, Grandfather, etc.) as her Mahrams.

The Imam was right in saying that the Father would be a Mahram even though he is not a Muslim.

As far as a Wali for Nikah is concerned, it has to be a Muslim, and in her case, since her father is not a Muslim, the Qaadhi (the person performing the Nikah) can and will be her Wali, if there is no other available.

I hope I have not confused you more.

Assalamu alaikum, umAhmad.

[natasha]

Assalamualikum

Im sorry - i did mean wali not mahram. Thank you for clearing that up. Jazzakallah sisters.

[anthony19832005]

peace

In this purely theoretic scenario where a woman and a man (muslims) are alone on an island and they decide to get married, and there's no wali or mahram, can they still be married with Just Allah(swt) as their witness?

Peace

[umAhmad]

Assalamu Alaikum, Actually Br. Anthony, I distinctly remember reading a ruling regarding the exact scenerio you posted, and it was mentioned that if the Man and women are alone with no other person around, in this case, If the Women said " I ............(her name, daughter of so and so) give myself in Nikah to you with Allah as my witness", and if The man replies I .........(his name, son of so and so) have accepted you as my wife with Allah as my witness.", then the Nikah is done, and their being together will be not be a Sin.

But this is allowed under very abnormal conditions, which might happen very very rarely. But our Shariah has answers for every situation. that's why Islam is called the Deen of Fitrah (Nature).

Assalamu alaikum, umAhmad.

[anthony19832005]

Peace

thought so, thx.

Peace