Marriage without Witness

سُئِلَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَتَزَوَّجُ الْمَرْأَةَ بِغَيْرِ شُهُودٍ فَقَالَ لَا بَأْسَ بِتَزْوِيجِ الْبَتَّةِ فِيمَا بَيْنَهُ وَ بَيْنَ اللَّهِ إِنَّمَا جُعِلَ الشُّهُودُ فِي تَزْوِيجِ الْبَتَّةِ مِنْ أَجْلِ الْوَلَدِ لَوْ لَا ذَلِكَ لَمْ يَكُنْ بِهِ بَأْسٌ.

“Once abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), was asked about the case of a man who married a woman without witness. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not unlawful at all between him and Allah. Witness in marriage is for the sake of children, if that is not the concern then it is not unlawful.’”

إِنَّمَا جُعِلَتِ الْبَيِّنَاتُ لِلنَّسَبِ وَ الْمَوَارِيثِ وَ فِي رِوَايَةٍ أُخْرَى وَ الْحُدُودِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Witness and testimony (for marriage) is only for the sake of children and inheritance.’ In another Hadith it is said, ‘and it is for the sake of criminal issues.’”

فِي الرَّجُلِ يَتَزَوَّجُ بِغَيْرِ بَيِّنَةٍ قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ.

“About the case of a man who marries without witness, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It is not unlawful.’”

قَالَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ مُوسَى ع لِأَبِي يُوسُفَ الْقَاضِي إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى أَمَرَ فِي كِتَابِهِ بِالطَّلَاقِ وَ أَكَّدَ فِيهِ بِشَاهِدَيْنِ وَ لَمْ يَرْضَ بِهِمَا إِلَّا عَدْلَيْنِ‌[1] وَ أَمَرَ فِي كِتَابِهِ بِالتَّزْوِيجِ فَأَهْمَلَهُ بِلَا شُهُودٍ فَأَثْبَتُّمْ شَاهِدَيْنِ فِيمَا أَهْمَلَ وَ أَبْطَلْتُمُ الشَّاهِدِينَ فِيمَا أَكَّدَ.

“Abu al-Hassan, Musa (a.s.), once said to abu Yusuf, al-Qadi, ‘Allah, most Blessed, most High, has commanded in His book about divorce and He has placed strong emphasis on the presence of two witnesses. He has not accepted anyone as witness other than two just ones. He has commanded in His book about marriage but He ha