A nikah kept secret from relatives

Question

If a man and a woman wish to contract a nikah between themselves in the presence of two witnesses, concealing it from their relatives, what is the status of such a nikah according to the Shari'a?

Answer

In nikah it is better and preferable that it be contracted with public announcement, in a large gathering, in a mosque; but it is also permissibly concluded in the presence of two witnesses, provided that both witnesses are men who are Muslim, adult and sane, or one man and two women.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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