Customary practices

Secret nikaah

Q: I recently married my cousin on request of my parents and so that our families stay connected and to obey my mother. But before that I sent a rishta/proposal to a girl that I liked but her family didn’t agreed.

Now after my marriage, that girl is asking me to marry her but I fear my that family and wife won’t agree to it. What should I do? What is the Islamic way to proceed in this matter? If I marry her and keep that a secret is it justified?

Bride prevented from seeing in-laws house before marriage

Q: There is a tradition when the bride's parents go to the groom's house for discussion, they leave the bride at home. The groom, his parents, bride's parents, everyone are present in the discussion related to marriage, except the bride. The bride is not even allowed to see her in laws house before marriage.

I feel all these rules are made by the society to deprieve a woman of her rights. Since it is her marriage, the bride should be allowed to be present during the discussions, just like the boy. And she should be allowed to see her in laws house before marriage, as she will be spending her entire life there. I am getting married soon, so I just want to know if visiting the groom's house with parents and taking part in discussions, will not be against Islam.

Secret nikaah

Q: A girl I know has done a nikaah with her boss. She did not have her guardian present and there was no written documents. They had a supposed molvi reading the nikaah and two witnesses. It was all verbal. Does the nikaah stand?

Making a secret nikaah after committing zina

Q: I have been in a relationship with a boy for the past year and it resulted in us both committing a disgraceful act and has resulted in a child. We have repented and asked for taubah and want the baby to be legitimate in the eyes of Allah by performing nikaah. The problem is with my mother, she does not agree to this and says I am too young and also she is not religiously inclined when it comes to marriage in Islam. She says that I am 17 and cannot do this without her consent. I was wondering if there are any ways to make nikaah secretly until we can do it openly. My first priortity is my child and I want to do this properly and the boy and his family agree to this.