Can I marry a 17 year old Muslim girl in India?
In 1962 the UNO made it law that countries have to state a legal marriage age. In India, the legal marriage age is 21 for a male and 18 for a female. In Sharia Law, a person is eligible for marriage when they reach the age of puberty. Islamic jurists disagree on exactly what that age is.
Can I marry 17 year old Muslim girl in India according to Shariah Law?
If I marry her is it legal or not?
please answer me.
- asifparmar
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Asifparmar, As-salamu alaykum. If you are asking about Indian civil law, I cannot help you. Although the caption on the photo states that the legal marriage age in India is 18 for a female, it's best if you consult a family law attorney (solicitor) in India.
If you are asking about Islamic Shari'ah, historically young people were considered to be adults at puberty and therefore could marry. Puberty is a biological indicator that a human being is capable of procreating, and has been used as a natural milestone by which to determine marriage age in many historical cultures.
However, we must recognize that our modern reality is different. Children are no longer apprenticed in crafts and trades at a young age, and are not give the degree of responsibility that they were in the past. As a result young people tend to be less emotionally mature than their counterparts in the old days, less independent, less capable of supporting themselves, and less prepared to make important life choices.
Also, our modern system is based on higher education. In order to secure a good future, a young person is expected to complete at least high school, and ideally university as well. So marriage is generally delayed so that the youth can complete their studies. In fact I think it is sometimes delayed too long, as I don't think it's necessary to complete a master's degree or PhD before marriage, especially while young people are facing sexual pressures from pervasive media messages.
But I do believe that education is very important and any marriage that would strip a young woman of the opportunity to be educated, is to be avoided.
This brings me to an important point, that marriage at a young age in today's world is often associated with poverty and lack of education. In the case of girls, it is often a product of a lack of power on the girl's part to make her own choices, in other words she is often steered into marriage without having any personal input and without being offered other choices.
No matter what, you must comply with the civil laws of your country. So if the legal marriage age for women in India is 18, then you cannot marry anyone below that age. Personally I think 18 is a very reasonable minimum age limit for marriage, and I fully support efforts to eradicate child marriage and forced marriage.
Wael
IslamicAnswers.com Editor