Is it legal to perform Nikah in Masjid al-Haram?

If you have ever visited Masjid al-Haram in Makkah, you must have seen people sitting in small gatherings, performing Nikah, drinking Qahwa, and distributing dates. I always wondered if it is legal to perform Nikah in Masjid al-Haram.

Is it legal to perform Nikah in Masjid al-Haram?

Well, as far as Saudis are concerned, they perform Nikah in Masjid-al-Haram, Makkah without any problem. 

However, expats are still reluctant to perform Nikah in Makkah. Many expatriates living in Saudi Arabia do not encourage others to perform Nikah in Masjid al-Haram.

Is Nikah performed in Makkah registered legally?

If you have seen someone performing Nikah in Masjid al-Haram, you must have noticed that they note the things like names of witnesses,  Mahar, names of bride and groom in a register.

This is not a legal register but just a notebook. So yes, your Nikah has been performed religiously but not legally.

To register Nikah legally, you will have to go to Ahwal Shakhsia if you are an Iqama holder. 

Nikah in Masjid al-Haram on Umrah Visa

Some people have this utmost desire that their Nikah be performed in Masjid al-Haram. So, they take Umrah Visa and the whole family comes to Masjid al-Haram to perform Nikah.

No one stops them from doing it and Nikah is performed religiously just after that. Religiously speaking, Nikah is no more than proposal and acceptance in front of witnesses.

But even after this, they will have to get it registered when they go back to their countries. There is no provision of getting a marriage registered in Saudi Arabia on Umrah or a Visit Visa.

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Steve has vast experience in writing about Saudi rules, regulations, guides, and procedures.