Avoiding Marriage between the two Eids

To say that marriage is not allowed or disliked in the period between Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha is, without doubt, incorrect and a baseless superstition that has found its way within certain Muslim communities. As such, it must not be followed or considered as true.

In fact, many scholars are of the opinion that it is actually recommended to marry in the month of Shawwal , which falls in between the two Eids, since the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) married Sayyida A’isha (may Allah be pleased with her) in this month.

Sayyida A’isha (may Allah be pleased with her) relates: “The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) contracted marriage with me in [the month of] Shawwal and took me to his house as a bride in Shawwal. And who among the wives of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) was dearer to him than me?” (Sahih Muslim, no: 1423)

After recording this Hadith under the heading: “Chapter on the recommendation of marrying or being married off in the month of Shawwal, and the recommendation of consummating the marriage in this month”, Imam Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) states in his commentary of Sahih Muslim:

“This Hadith indicates the recommendation of marrying, being married off and consummating the marriage during Shawwal. Indeed our scholars have clearly stipulated its recommendation and have substantiated it from this Hadith. A’isha’s (may Allah be pleased with her) intention by this statement was to refute the custom of the days of ignorance (jahiliyya) and what some of the ignorant believe today that marrying, being married off and consummating the marriage is disliked during Shawwal. This notion is baseless and has no Islamic source to it…” (Al-Minhaj Sharh Sahih Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj, P: 1068)

As such, it is wrong to avoid getting married in between the two Eids believing it to be unlawful or disliked. According to Shari’ah, one can marry at any time. The only prohibition according to the majority of classical scholars such as Imam Malik, Shafi’i and Ahmad (may Allah be pleased with them) is for a person who is in a state of Ihram (muhrim) for Hajj or Umrah to marry. According to the Hanafi School, however, it is permitted for a Muhrim to marry, since the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) married Sayyida Maymuna (may Allah be pleased with her) whilst being a Muhrim (Sahih al-Bukhari 1837), although consummating the marriage and acts that are of a sexual nature are not permitted. (Al-Minhaj bi Sharh Sahih Muslim 1060 and Al-Ikhtiyar 3/110)

And Allah knows best