[Q 700] Can a Nikah Agent Also Be a Witness?

Question

Respected scholars! In a Nikah ceremony, there has to be two witnesses. Two man or one man and two women.

Can one of the two men become wakeel, like both be wakeel and witness?

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
الجواب بعون الملك الوهاب اللهم هداية الحق والصواب

Answer

A wakeel (agent) for nikah, meaning a person who has been given authority by the groom or bride to perform their nikah, cannot act as a witness if the principal (the one who appointed the wakeel, whether groom or bride) is not present in that gathering. In such a scenario, if there are a total of three people in the nikah gathering (the groom and two others), and one person is the bride’s wakeel, then since the bride herself is not present, only one witness remains, and a nikah cannot be performed in the presence of just one witness.

In the aforementioned situation, if the groom cannot attend the nikah gathering, it is necessary that one additional person also be present, so that apart from the groom, there are a total of three people: one wakeel for the bride and two witnesses. In this manner, if other conditions are met, the nikah will be valid.

It is stated in Al-Muhit al-Burhani:

ومن هذا الجنس ذكر خواهر زاده رحمه الله في شرح كتاب الرهن وصورتها: وكل رجل رجلا أن يزوج له امرأة، فزوجه الوكيل امرأة بحضرة شاهد واحد، إن كان الموكل حاضرا يجوز، وطريقه: أن الموكل يعتبر متزوجا ويعتبر الوكيل مع الشاهد الآخر شاهدان، وإن كان الموكل غائبا لا يجوز، حاصل هذه المسائل مسألة ذكرها (192بأ) في آخر الباب الأول من نكاح «الجامع الصغير» وصورتها: رجل أمر رجلا أن يزوج ابنة له وهي صغيرة فزوجها والأب حاضر جازت شهادة المزوج، وإن كان الأب غائبا لم تجز شهادة المزوج وطريقه ما قلنا.

(Al-Muhit al-Burhani, vol. 3, p. 30)

Answered by: Mubashir Attari (AskMufti Scholar)

Verified by: Mufti Sajid Attari
Translated answer
Date: 9th August 2026