Islam outlines several rules that an engaged couple ought to follow before and during the marriage ceremony. In the quest to find out whether kissing before and during the wedding ceremony is allowed, I conducted extensive research and spoke to my Imam about this topic.
So, can you kiss at a Muslim wedding? The bride and groom are not allowed to kiss on the stage during the Muslim wedding ceremony. They are expected to do it when they are residing in their private suit or room. Islam does not allow hugging and kissing between the wedding couple immediately after the Nikah in front of the public as soon as the Nikah is pronounced.
According to the hadith by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), he declared that it is better for Muslim to have a nail driven to his head than to touch anybody who is not of close relations to them. A Muslim is at liberty to look for a spouse with the intention of marriage, but he is not allowed to touch or kiss her even during the marriage ceremony especially in the public.
The marriage contract is always valid. However, kissing a woman during the engagement period or during the marriage ceremony is considered haram. But if it occurs after the marriage ceremony then there is nothing wrong in kissing.
With regard to adulterers getting married to one another, there is nothing wrong with that provided that they wait out an iddah period and after both parties have repented their sins.
Repentance is always essential for both parties if they have engaged in acts of zina. The marriage contract until after the waiting period has elapsed and making sure that the woman is not pregnant as a result of zina.
Islam does not allow fiancé to touch and feel his fiancée, or kiss her, or stay alone with her, because they are considered strangers to each other (non-mahram) until the marriage contract has been signed. It is lawful for the man to look at her bride when proposing marriage so that they can marry.
Before the nikah has been conducted, the couple is not married- both are still strangers to each other until they are married. It is not permissible for the couple to be left alone or go for a trip prior to the wedding ceremony.
The couple is not allowed to touch or feel each other’s faces before marriage even if there is no fear of desire. Because before the nikah has been conducted, they are still haram for each other. The greater purification or ghusl is not allowed to be performed after kissing. The greater purification is done mainly when semen is emitted or when intercourse has occurred.
Can you kiss after Nikah?
Muslim couples cannot kiss immediately after the Nikah as this ceremony has other people present like relatives, witnesses and officials. Decency dictates that such deeds ought to be done by married couples in private places.
It is perfectly legal in Islam for a married couple to kiss but are not required to display this kind of affection in public.
All couples attending any Muslim marriage are therefore forbidden from kissing each other. They should not expose themselves to bystanders including the marrying couple as well as the kids in attendance. Allah has permitted kissing for the husband and wife to privately enjoy it.
Can Muslims Kiss before Marriage?
Under Islamic rules, kissing is not allowed before marriage between unmarried people, even those who plan to marry each other, as it is considered haram to kiss before marriage. This also extends to any touching and together with kissing, these activities are considered to be haram.
Only when the couple have been married in accordance with Islamic law is it possible to kiss and touch each other but only in private after the wedding ceremonies have been completed.
Can a Muslim Married Couple Kiss in Public?
The kissing of lips between a married Muslim couple in public is usually forbidden and considered haram. Kissing between a husband and wife is only reserved for couples who are behind closed doors in absolute privacy. Kissing a spouses forehead, cheeks or hands whilst not forbidden, is not advised in public.
Any vulgar type kissing is not only haram in Islamic law, but it is also uncouth and can lead to legal action (depending on where it is done) along with huge embarrassment. Such actions are not only detrimental to the couple’s social life but could also land them in trouble.
As with numerous questions about should or can questions in Islam, this too is a No and Yes answer. A kiss can depict absolutely anything. In most cases a kiss can be pious and filled with respect while others can be vulgar.
A pious kiss on the forehead, cheeks and hands is allowed. The general guideline is that individuals should avoid doing so. Kissing your partner in public just to show people that you can, is considered wrong and demeans the relationship and is considered as an insult to your spouse.
Such a kiss is not sin in Islam but according to early Islamic scholars, it is considered as one of the “khawarim al-muruáh”- the acts that betray one’s self-respect according to the practices and customs of a given society. However, the above is dependent on the “urf” of the culture that the person lives.
Simply, care and romance are two distinct things in Islam. Public display of care is allowed but public display of lust and romance is discouraged in Islam. Some argue that the coupe know they are married but other people may not know it. Some people might consider such actions as just flirting around. Romance is a private and personal affair, it ought not to be made a status symbol to showcase in public.
Kissing your wife in public is not zina. Rather kissing her in the presence of other people is not allowed. Zina is done with a woman whom it is not allowed for a man to touch. It is also not allowed for any woman or man to tell anyone what happens between them in bed because the temptations and evils that occur as a result open the door for the shaytaan.
There is no expiation for this sin except sincere repentance and firm resolve never to engage in it again. The sinner should also regret having committed the sin as well. Confession for such sin could be done to Allah alone. It is between the sinner and Allah and the sinner should not involve anyone, but rather commit to sincere repentance.
There is nothing wrong with a man kissing his mahrams- his maternal aunt, paternal aunt, his mother, sister and grandmother. It is not forbidden for anyone to kiss them in the head, especially if she is an adult, or on the cheek and nose. Most scholars regard it as makhmoor to kiss them on the mouth.
Parents kissing their young children in the mouth is not considered haram. However, kissing a mahaarim (non- marriageable relatives) on the mouth is haram. This is the view of the Hanbali School. A man is not allowed to kiss his grown daughter and a mother is not allowed to kiss her grown son on the mouth.
In short, kissing to the opposite sex except your wife depends upon the age. Parents and siblings can respectfully kiss their younger brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, or children to show that they love and care. One can also kiss their older siblings and relatives or teachers to show regard, respect and love for them.
It is sufficient to say that Islam is not a religion that forbids kissing or considers it bad. It is simply urging Muslim people to be prepared to carry the burden that comes with it. It is well defined that Islam closes the door to deeds that causes immorality. Whether it is perversions or zina thereof such as adultery. It clearly forbids men from kissing a non-mahram woman. Kissing in public especially during a wedding ceremony is clearly forbidden.
In light of guidance of the holy book and the Sunnah, it will be considered beyond the bounds of decency in Islam for any couple to passionately kiss one another in public. The believers should fear Allah and refrain from publicly displaying an act in which Allah has allowed them to enjoy in their privacy.
