Is nikah valid if you don’t know about pregnancy?
Dear Sir,
I was in a relationship with my Girlfriend before we got married. and like usual western couples we lived together and had sex very often. Then one day we decided to get married and eventually we did. Soon after we found that my wife was pregnant. I had sex with her couple of nights before and on our wedding night as well but we both are not sure when did the pregnancy take place.
Could you please tell us if our nikah is valid or not?
ZAC123
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Assalaamu Alaykum,
This is a very detailed issue and no one here will be able to give an authoritative answer. To clear your own conscience you will most likely have to speak with a qualified scholar and get an informed opinion that you can accept with peace of mind.
There are a couple things I will mention that are somewhat associated to this situation.
First is, Prophet Muhammad SAWS said that a man should not irrigate the crop of another with his water. This means that a man should not have intercourse with a woman who is pregnant by someone else. This is the hadith a lot of scholars use to say that nikkahs conducted while a woman is pregnant is invalid, but the main aspect to me is that it's ANOTHER man's child. I don't know how this can be applied when the father of the child is the same one marrying the pregnant woman. But like I said, I'm not a scholar.
Secondly, you are not sure when the pregnancy happened. Since you had sex right before and after the marriage, it could've been any of those times if she was fertile. There really is no way to conclusively isolate the day she got pregnant, if you were having sex that frequently. It's just as possible she got pregnant after your marriage, as before.
My personal feeling is that this should be treated with the same generosity that many doubtful issues are, which means assume the best. In cases where a man has given a number of divorces to his wife, but he is not sure if it was 2 or 3, he is often advised to assume it's the lesser since he can't remember clearly. With your case, it's not even an issue of recollection. It's something that cannot be determined even medically. So my inclination would be to look at it with the mercy of Allah that it took place after the nikkah, and Allah knows best.
Again, I think it's best to consult with someone more learned about this, because these are just thoughts of a layperson. It's important to have assurance when it comes to these serious aspects of life and faith. But at least these are some points you can bring up during your discussion with that scholar in shaa Allah, that can help him give a prudent response.
-Amy
IslamicAnswers.com Editor
Hi, salam, if you are married now with nikah, forget about the past when she fell pregnant or not. this have nothing to do with the validity of your nikah. and of course it is valid. repent only for your past sin. and focus on a better future.
may god bless you and forgive you and everyone who are in the same situation. no need to stress about that. repent sincerely and be happy 🙂
Regards
Uzzy