Permission for marriage at Islam's 2 holiest sites

Saudi authorities have allowed conducting marriage contracts at Islam’s two holiest sites in Mecca and Medina as part of initiatives launched to enrich the experiences of pilgrims and visitors, according to a Saudi newspaper.

The initiative was unveiled by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah allowing the well-organised conducting of nuptial contracts with comfort and ease at the Grand Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, Al Watan reported.

Experts have called the initiative a “chance” for companies to come up with innovative ideas to organise such events with reverence for both places taken into consideration.

Saudi mazoun, or marriage official, Musaed Al Jabri said conducting a marriage contract at the mosque is permissible in Islam, saying that the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) is known to have conducted a companion’s nuptial rite at the mosque.

Al Jabri noted that conducting the marriage contract at the Prophet’s Mosque is already common among the Medina locals.

“This is due to several reasons,” he said. “Some of them have the tradition of inviting most relatives of the would-be married couple. Often, the house of the wife-to-be’s family can’t accommodate all the invitees. So, the nuptial contract is conducted at the Prophet’s Mosque or the Qaba Mosque (the first mosque built in Islam),” he added.

Some people, he argued, believe that conducting a marriage contract at the mosque brings “blessing and good luck”.

On rules that attendees of the ceremony should observe, he said they include averting the distraction of worshippers by loud voices. “It is also important to heed the sanctity of the place and avoid bringing in a lot of coffee, sweets, or food," Al Jabri added.

Millions of Muslims from inside and outside Saudi Arabia annually go to the Grand Mosque to perform Umrah and visit the Prophet’s Mosque and other Islamic landmarks in Medina.