This depends entirely on your school of thought or madhab. Under the Hanafi school of thought a mature sane woman can contract her own marriage without a wali. This is the opinion followed by many Muslims from South Asia Turkey and the Balkans. Under the Hanbali Maliki and Shafii schools a wali is required for the marriage to be valid. This is the opinion followed by many Muslims from the Arabian Peninsula and Africa. We guide you based on your preferred madhab. If you follow a school that requires a wali but you have no suitable male relative we can help arrange for an Islamic judge or imam to act as your wali for the nikah ceremony.

Prompt mahr which is called mahr muajjal is paid at or before the wedding ceremony. This could be cash gold or any agreed asset that is given to the bride at the time of marriage. Deferred mahr which is called mahr muakhkhar is a promise of payment upon divorce or upon the husband death. Both types are completely valid and scholars actually prefer having both because the deferred portion serves as financial protection for the wife in case the marriage ends or the husband passes away. Most couples structure their mahr with a smaller prompt portion for example HKD 5,000 to HKD 10,000 and a larger deferred portion for example HKD 50,000 to HKD 200,000. We help you document both portions clearly so there is no confusion later.

The Islamic nikah contract is spiritually valid and it serves as a binding agreement under Islamic law. However for full legal recognition under Hong Kong law including for purposes of inheritance divorce proceedings and immigration benefits you must also register your marriage with the Hong Kong Marriage Registry. We provide comprehensive guidance on how to do this including what documents you need and where to go. Some couples choose to have only the Islamic nikah if legal recognition is not important to them such as when both spouses are foreign nationals not planning to stay in Hong Kong permanently. We respect whatever choice you make.

Yes absolutely. Islamic law allows both parties to include conditions which are called shuroot in the marriage contract as long as those conditions do not contradict the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet. Common conditions that couples include are the wife right to work outside the home, the wife right to continue her education, the wife right to travel without the husband permission, the right to choose where the couple lives, the condition that the husband will not take a second wife, and the condition that certain assets remain separate property. We help you draft these conditions using clear enforceable language that protects both parties.

Your civil marriage is legally valid but it does not automatically make your marriage Islamically valid. You still need an Islamic nikah ceremony with proper witnesses and mahr and wali depending on your school of thought. We can perform a simple nikah renewal ceremony to make your marriage valid under Shariah without requiring a large wedding celebration. Many couples who only had a civil wedding come to us for this exact service.

For a standard contract without complex special conditions please allow two to three weeks from booking to receiving your final documents. This timeline includes intake which takes about two days, drafting which takes five to seven business days, revisions which can take up to five days depending on how quickly you respond, and printing and shipping which takes three to five days within Hong Kong. If you need your contract faster we offer expedited service with a three business day turnaround for an additional fee. For the pre marital counseling session you can schedule it anytime within six months of booking our service.