Is It Makrooh To Leave A Long Interval Between The Marriage Contract And Consummation Of The Marriage?
Islamic Rulings -
Living Shariah Verdicts
Islamic Questions & Answers
Is it
makrooh to leave a long interval between the marriage
contract and consummation of the marriage?
Praise be to Allaah.
We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih
al-'Uthaymeen, may Allaah preserve him, who answered
as follows:
It is not makrooh, because the Prophet (Peace And
Blessings Of Allaah Be Upon Him) concluded the
marriage contract with 'Aa'ishah when she was six
years old, and consummated the marriage with her when
she was nine. The prospective husband may do that
sometimes because he is keen to get married and is
afraid that the woman or her family may change their
minds, so he hastens to conclude the marriage
contract. There is nothing wrong with that from the
point of view of sharee'ah, but I think that the
marriage contract should be concluded at the same time
as the marriage is to be consummated, or shortly
before, because that helps to avoid problems that may
arise, such as differences that lead to divorce, or
death of one of the spouses, etc… And Allaah is the
source of strength.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-'Uthaymeen
No Prescribed
Period For Consummating Marriage
How soon
do a married couple have to consumate their marriage
in Islam?
If one of the partners feels uncomfortable, what is
he/she to do, if he/she does not want to consumate
right away, but would prefer to wait about 3 months?
al-hamdu lillaah.
If a man executes a valid marriage contract with a
woman then it is permissible for the two to do as they
please between themselves, even with only the
contract. There is no period prescribed by Islamic
shari'ah between the contract and consummation of the
marriage, so this issue is up to the two partners as
to what they decide is most appropriate and in their
best interests.
It is incumbent upon both parties to consider,
respect, and ensure the other one's personal comfort
and ease. Thus, if the husband sees that the wife
needs some time to become acclimated and develop their
relationship and level of intimacy before
consummation, such as 3 months, for example, he should
do so, and vice versa. Likewise, it is incumbent upon
the wife if she sees that her husband feels an urgent
need to guard his chastity by consummating the
marriage that she should not prolong the period so
that he does not fall into a state of awkward
discomfort and difficulty, and vice versa.
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