Our Journal

Does Your Spouse Qualify for Social Security or Pension Survivor Benefits? What Marriage Length and Type Actually Require

Survivor benefits in the US, UK, and Canada all have their own marriage-length and recognition rules — and an unregistered nikah can quietly disqualify a surviving spouse from money they're entitled to. Here's what each system actually requires.

Can a Nikah Contract Include a Binding Sharia Arbitration Clause? What UK and Canadian Law Actually Allow

Most sharia council rulings carry no legal force at all — but the Arbitration Act 1996 gives a narrow, genuine path to make a sharia-based decision actually enforceable in a UK civil court. Here's the real distinction, and why it rarely covers family disputes.

If Your Nikah Was Never Civilly Registered, Who Gets Custody If You Separate?

An unregistered nikah doesn't erase parental rights — but it changes who has them automatically and who has to go to court to get them. Here's what UK and US family courts actually do when an Islamic-only marriage ends.

Is a Nikah Still Valid If One Spouse Leaves Islam? The Apostasy Ruling Explained

Classical scholars across all four Sunni schools agree apostasy dissolves a marriage — but they disagree on exactly when, and on what happens if the spouse returns to Islam during the waiting period. Here's the precise ruling, not the simplified version.

Can a Nikah Be Performed for Someone Who Is Comatose or Medically Incapacitated?

A wakeel can speak on behalf of an absent groom — but can anyone speak for someone who is unconscious and cannot consent at all? The Islamic ruling and the Western medical-legal reality both say no, for the same underlying reason: consent.

Can a Nikah Witness Be Forced to Testify Against You in a Civil Court Case?

Your nikah witnesses aren't just religious formalities — they're potential courtroom witnesses too. Here's when a court can actually compel them to testify, and the one privilege that might protect your spouse from being forced onto the stand.