Marrying a Woman Who Says She Is a Widow

Question

(1) Some women come from Bangladesh; the men with whom they come abandon them here and there and leave. Now these women wander about begging for their food and say that they are widows. On the basis of their saying that they are widows, may men from here contract nikah with them or not? It has not been properly verified whether they are widows or married.

Answer

If the heart testifies that these women are widows and that their ‘idda has ended, then it is permissible to contract nikah with them. Publisher’s note: this applies when verification is not possible; if verification is possible through their homeland, then nikah should be contracted only after verification — especially in this age, when this is a widespread affliction and…

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

Preview. The full text opens with JavaScript enabled.