(According to the Qur'an and Sunnah,
as extracted and inferred by scholars of the Hanafi school.)
From "Mukhtasar al-Quduri", a matn of Hanafi fiqh

	The Spoken Form
	Witnesses
	Prohibited Persons By Kinship By Marriage Ties By Suckling By Combination By Religion
	The Wali Precdence for Wilayah Compatibility Authority of the Wali
	The Mahr Specification Entitlement
	Termination Of A Marriage Invalidation of a Marriage Physical Defects Embracement of Islam Apostasy
	Treatment Of Wives
	Suckling Period of Suckling Mixing of the Milk with Other Substances Source of the Milk Prohibitions through Suckling

1.0 THE SPOKEN FORM

1. Marriage is contracted by proposal and acceptance, in two statements,

   	- both of them expressing the past tense, or
   	- one of them expressing the past and the other the future, such as one saying, ‘Marry [your daughter] to me,' and the other saying, ‘I have married [her] to you.' If a man marries a woman off without her permission, or [marries off] a man without his permission, [the marriage is contingent on their acceptance].

2. Marriage is contracted by the words of marriage, wedding, transfer of possession, gift, or charity.

2.0 WITNESSES

1. The marriage of Muslims is not contracted without the presence of two free, adult, sane, Muslim [male] witnesses, or one man and to women, [whether they be] morally upright or non-upright, or [even] inflicted with the prescribed punishment for slander.

   If a Muslim married a dhimmi woman with the witnessing of two dhimmi men, it is valid according to Abu Hanifah and Abu Yusuf. Muhammad said : It is not valid.

3.0 PROHIBITED PERSONS

3.1 Prohibition by Kinship

It is not lawful for a man to marry:

1. His mother, nor his maternal or paternal grandmothers,
   
2. His daughter, nor his granddaughters, and lower
   
3. His sister
   
4. His [niece] : his sister's daughter or his brother's daughter
   
5. His paternal aunt
   
6. His maternal aunt
   
7. His wife's mother, whether he has consummated with her daughter or not

3.2 Prohibition by Marriage Ties

1. The daughter of his wife with whom he has consummated, whether she is under his guardianship or the guardianship of someone else
   
2. His father's or grandfathers' wife
   
3. His son's or grandson's wife
   
4. Whoever commits fornication with a woman, her mother and daughter become unlawful to him.
   
5. [A thrice-divorced ex-wife unless she has since consummated another marriage.]

3.3 Prohibition by Suckling

1. His foster-mother
   
2. His foster sister

3.4 Prohibition of Combination

1. He may not combine two sisters in marriage, nor as slave-girls for intercourse

   If a man divorced his wife with an irrevocable divorce, it is not permissible for him to marry her sister until [his wife's] waiting period is over.

2. He may not combine a woman with her paternal or maternal aunt, nor with her [niece:] sister's daughter or brother's daughter.
   
3. He may not combine two women [who are such that], if one of them were a man, it would not be permissible for her to marry the other.
   
4. There is no objection to combining a woman with a daughter a husband she had previously.
   
5. A free man may marry four - free women or slave-girls, and he may not marry more than that. If a free man divorces one of the four with an irrevocable divorce, it is not permissible for him to marry a [new] fourth [wife] until the waiting-period of [the other] is completed.

3.5 Prohibition by Religion

1. It is permissible [but disliked for a Muslim man] to marry women of the People of the Book, but it is not permissible to marry Zoroastrian women, nor idolatrous women.
   
2. It is permissible to marry Sabean women if they believe in a prophet and affirm a scripture, but if they worship the planets, and have no scripture, then it is not permissible to marry them.

4.0 THE WALI

4.1 Precedence for Wilayah

1. The wali is a paternal male relative.

   If there exist for an insane woman both her her father and her son, then the wali in her marriage is her son according to Abu Hanifah and Abu Yusuf. Muhammad said : [it is] her father.

2. A slave, minor, insane person, or unbeliever, have no wilayah over a Muslim woman.
   
3. Abu Hanifah said : it is valid for non-male relatives to marry of the women [if males are not available].
   
4. If the immediate wali is disjointedly absent, then it is valid for someone beneath him [in predence] to marry [the women off]. A disjointed absence is that he be in a city where the caravans reach only once a year.

4.2 Compatibility

1. Compatibility in marriage is taken into consideration. So, if a woman marries an incompatible [man], the wali has the right to separate them.
   
2. Compatibility is considered in:

   	lineage
   	religion
   	wealth, which is that he be in possession of the mahr and maintenance.
   	profession.

4.3 Authority of the Wali

1. According to Abu Hanifah, the marriage of a free, adult, sane woman is contracted with her consent, even if there no wali performs the contract for her, whether she is virgin or not. Abu Yusuf and Muhammad said : it is not contracted without a wali.
   
2. It is not permissible for the wali to coerce an adult virgin to marry [someone].
   
3. If he asks for her permission, and she remains silent, or giggles, that is [indicative of] her permission. But, if she refuses, he may not marry her off.

   If the husband says, ‘The marriage [proposal] reached you, and you remained silent,' but she says, ‘No, I refused it.' then the word is hers, and there is no oath due on her. There is no extraction of oath in marriage according to Abu Hanifah. [But] Abu Yusuf and Muhammad said : oaths are extracted in it.

4. If he asks the permission of a non-virgin, her consent in words is essential.

   	If her virginity was removed by jumping, or menstruation, or an injury, then her is that of the virgin.
   	If it was removed by fornication, then the same according to Abu Hanifah.

5. The marriage of a minor male or female is valid if the wali marries them off, whether the minor girl is a virgin or not.
   
6. If [two minors] were married off by the father or grandfaather, then they do not have a choice after reaching maturity. But, if other than the father or grandfather married them off, then each of them has the choice when they reach adulthood : if he wishes, he may continue in the marriage, and if he wishes he may annul it.
   
7. If a woman marries and keeps her mahr lower [than her peers] then the wali has the right to object to that, according to Abu Hanifah, until [the husband] makes up the mahr of her peers or separates from her.
   
8. If a father marries off his minor daughter anbd keeps her mahr lower [than her peers], or [marries off] his minor son and exceeds in the mahr of his wife, that is valid for them. But that is not permissible for other than the father and grandfather.
   
9. It is valid for a paternal uncle's son to marry the daughter of his paternal uncle to himself.

If the woman gives permission to a man to marry her to himself in the presence of two witnesses, [the contract] is valid.

5.0 MAHR (MARRIAGE PAYMENT TO THE BRIDE)

5.1 Specification

1. The marriage is valid if a mahr was named in it, and it is valid [even] if no mahr was named in it.

   If a man marries off his daughter [to a man] on condition that the man marry off hsi sister, or daughter, such that one of the contracts is in exchange for the other , then both contracts are valid, but each of [the women] is entitled to the mahr of her peers.

2. The minimum mahr is 10 dirhams, and so if he named less than 10, she is entitled to 10.

   	If a Muslim marries [a woman] on [a mahr of] wine, or pork, then the marriage is valid, but she is entitled to the mahr of her peers.
   	If he marries her on [a mahr of] an undescribed animal, the naming is valid, and she is entitled to a medium one. The husband has a choice : if he wishes, he may give her that, or if he wishes, he may give her its value [in money].
   	If he marries her on [a mahr of] an undescribed garment then she is entitled to the mahr of her peers.
   	If a free man marries a woman on [a mahr of] service to her for a year, or for teaching her Qur'an, then she is entitled to the mahr of her peers.

3. The dower of her peers is reckoned by [consideration of] her sisters, paternal aunts and paternal uncle's daughters. It is not reckoned with reference to her mother and maternal aunt if they are not of her tribe. That which is taken into account in [ascertaining] the mahr of her peers is :

   that the two women are equivalent in age, beauty, modesty, wealth, intelligence, religiousness, country and time.
   

4. If he added to [the amount of] her mahr after the contract, he is obliged to [pay] the additonal amount, but it is waived by divorce before consummation.

If she waived [some] of her mahr from him, the waiver is valid.

5.2 Entitlement

1. 1. If a man is secluded with his wife, and there is no hindrance from intercourse, and then he divorces her, then she is entitled to the complete mahr. But, if one of them is ill, or fasting in Ramadan, or in ihram for obligatory or superogatory hajj or `umrah, or she is menstruating, then it is not a valid seclusion.

   If a castrated man is in seclusion with his wife, and then divorces her, then she is entitled to the complete mahr according to Abu Hanifah.

2. Whoever names a mahr of 10 [dirhams] or more is obliged [to pay] the named [amount] if he consummates with her or dies leaving her.

   If he divorces her before consummation and seclusion, then she is entitled to half of the named amount.

3. If he marries her and does not name a mahr, or he marries her on condition that she will have no mahr, then she is entitled to the mahr of her peers if he consummates with her or dies leaving her.

   If he divorces her before consummation, then she is entitled to compensation, which is three garments of her peer's usage.

4. If he marries her and does not name a mahr, and then they mutually agree to name a mahr, then she is entitled to it if they consummate or he dies leaving her. If he divorces her before consummation then she is entitled to compensation.
   
5. It is recommended [for a man to give] compensation to every divorced woman except one [for whom it is essential,] and that is the one he divorced before consummation and for whom he did not name a mahr.
   
6. If the wali guarantees the mahr, his guarantee is valid, and the woman has a choice between demanding [it] from her husband or [from] her wali.
   
7. If [a man] marries a woman on [a mahr of] one thousand [being less than the mahr of her peers] on condition that he will not take her out of the country, or on condition that he will not marry over her, then if he fulfils the condition she is entitled to the named [mahr]. But, if he marries over her, or takes her out of the country, then she is entitled to the mahr of her peers.

6.0 TERMINATION OF A MARRIAGE

6.1 Invalidation of a Marriage

1. It is valid for a man and woman in ihram to marry one another in the state of ihram.
   
2. Mut`ah marriage and time-limited marriage are invalid.
   
3. If the judge separates the two spouses of an unsound marriage before consummation, then she is not entitled to a mahr, and similarly after seclusion. But, if he consummated with her then she is entitled to the mahr of her peers, [but] it may not exceed the named [mahr]. The waiting period is due upon her, and the lineage of her child is established.
   
4. Whoever marries two women in one contract, one of them not being lawful to him to marry, the marriage of the one who is lawful for him to marry is valid, and the marriage of the other is invalidated.

6.2 Physical Defects

1. If the wife has a defect, then her husband has no power of choice.
   
2. If the husband is afflicted with insanity, or white or black leprosy, then the wife has no power of choice according to Abu Hanifah and Abu Yusuf. Muhammad said : she has the power of choice.
   
3. If he is impotent, the judge adjourns him for a year, and then if he reaches her [during that time, the marriage continues] otherwise he separates them if the woman requests that. The separation is an irrevocable divorce. She is entitled to the entire mahr if he had been secluded with her.

   The castrated man is adjourned just as the impotent one is adjourned.
   

4. If [the husband] is [a man with] dissevered [genitals] then the judge separates them immediately, and does not adjourn him.

6.3 Embracement of Islam

1. If a woman embraces Islam and her husband is an unbeliever, the judge presents Islam to him. Then, if he accepts Islam, she is [still] his wife, but if he refuses [the judge] separates them, and that is an irrevocable divorce according to Abu Hanifah and Muhammad. Abu Yusuf said : it is a separation without divorce.
   
2. If a husband embraces Islam with a Zoroastrian woman under him, [the judge] presents Islam to her. Then, if she embraces Islam, she is [still] his wife, but if she refuses, the judge separates them. This separation is not a divorce, but if he had consummated with her she is entitled to the mahr. If he had not consummated with her then there is no mahr for her.
   
3. If a woman embraces Islam in Dar al-Harb, separation does not take effect on her until she has menstruated three menstrual periods. Then, when she has menstruated [thrice], she becomes separated from her husband.
   
4. If the husband of a Kitabi woman embraces islam, they [continue] upon their marriage.
   
5. If one of the two spouses comes out to us from Dar al-Harb as a Muslim, separation takes effect between them.
   
6. If a woman comes out to us as an emigree, it is permissible for her to marry, and there is no waiting period [due] upon her according to Abu Hanifah. But, if she is pregnant, she may not marry until she delivers her load.
   
7. If an unbeliever married without witnesses, or in the waiting period of an unbeliever, and that is legitimate according to their religion, and then they both embrace Islam, they are asserted in it. But if a Zoroastrian married his mother, or his daughter, and then they both embraced Islam, they are separated.

6.4 Apostasy

1. If one of the two spouses apostasizes from Islam, separation occurs between them without divorce. Then,

   	If the apostate is the husband, and he has consummated with her then she is entitled to the entire mahr.
   	If the woman is the apostate before consummation then there is no mahr for her. But, if the apostasy is after consummation, she is entitled to the mahr.
   	If they both apostasize together and [then] embrace Islam together then they [continue] upon their marriage.

2. It is not permissible for an apostate to marry a Muslim woman, nor an unbelieveing woman, nor an apostate woman. Similarly, an apostate woman may not be married by a Muslim man, nor an unbeliever nor an apostate.
   
3. If one of the spouses is Muslim then the child [continues] upon his religion. Similarly, if one of the two [spouses] embraces Islam and has a minor child, his child becomes Muslim by his [parent's] Islam. If one of the two spouses is a Kitabi and the other Zoroastrian then the child is a Kitabi.

7.0 TREATMENT OF WIVES

1. If a man has two free-women wives, it is [obligatory] upon him to be just with them in division [of nights, clothing, food and companionship], whether they were both virgins, or both non-virgins, or one a virgin and the other a non-virgin.
   
2. They have no right to division in the circumstance of travel. The husband may travel with whomever he wishes of them, but the more appropriate [procedure] is that he draw lots between them, and then travel with whichever [wife] has her lot drawn.
   
3. If one of the wives consents to forgo her share for her co-wife, it is valid, but she is entitled to revoke that.

8.0 SUCKLING

8.1 Period of Suckling

1. A little and a lot of suckling is the same [as far as regulation]. If it occurs in the period of suckling, [the ruling of] prohibition is attached to it.
   
2. The period of suckling, according to Abu Hanifah, is thirty months. Abu Yusuf and Muhammad said : two years.
   
3. Then, when the period of suckling has expired, no prohibition is attached to suckling.
   
4. In suckling, the testimony of women alone is not accepted. [Suckling] is only established by the testimony of two men, or a man and two women.

8.2 Mixing of the Milk with Other Substances

1. If milk is mixed with water, and the milk is predominant, prohibition is attached to it, but if the water is predominant, prohibition is not attached to it.
   
2. If [milk] is mixed with food, prohibition is not attached to it, even if the milk is predominant according to Abu Hanifah.
   
3. If [milk] is mixed with medicine and [the milk] is predominant, prohibition is attached to it.
   
4. If milk is mixed with the milk of a ewe, and the [human] milk is predominant, prohibition is attached to it, but if the ewe's milk is predominant, prohibition is not attached to it.
   
5. If the milk of two women is mixed, prohibition is attached to the preponderant of the two according to Abu Hanifah and Abu Yusuf. Muhammad said : It is attached to them both.

8.3 Source of the Milk

1. If milk is extracted from a woman after her death, and an infant is fed with it, prohibition is attached to it.
   
2. If milk comes forth from a virgin, and she then suckles an infant with it, prohibition is attached to it.
   
3. If milk comes forth from a man, and he then suckles an infant with it, prohibition is not attached to it.
   
4. If two infants drink the milk of a [single] ewe, there is no [relationship of] suckling between them.

8.4 Prohibitions through Suckling

1. Suckling makes prohibited all that kinship makes prohibited, except for

   	The mother of his foster-sister, and so he may marry her, although he may not marry the mother of his sister by kinship, and
   	The sister of his foster-son; he may marry her, although he may not marry the sister of his son by kinship.

   The wife of his foster-son he may not marry, just as he may not marry the wife of his son by kinship.

   The wife of his foster-father he may not marry, just as he may not marry the wife of his father by kinship.
   

2. A man may marry the sister of his foster-brother, just as he may marry the sister of his [half-]brother by kinship. That is, for example, like a paternal brother, if he has a maternal sister; it is permissible for his paternal brother to marry her.
   
3. Prohibition is attached to the milk due to a man, which is that the wife suckles a girl, and so then this girl is prohibited to her husband, and to his fathers and sons. The husband from whom the milk is derived becomes a [foster-]father to the suckled girl.
   
4. [For] any two infants that share a breast, it is not permissible for one of them to marry the other.
   
5. It is not permissible for a suckled girl to marry any one of the sons of the woman who suckled her, nor her son's sons.
   
6. A suckled boy may not marry the sister of the foster-woman's husband, because she is his foster-aunt.
   
7. If a man marries an infant girl and an adult woman, and then the woman suckles the infant, they both become prohibited to the husband. If he had not consummated with the woman, then there is no mahr for her, but the infant is entitled to half the mahr. The husband may claim it from the woman is she had deliberately used that for invalidation [of the marriage]. If she had not done it deliberately then there is nothing due upon her.