Faysal Quraishi wants fatwa on nikkah on-screen

Is an on-screen nikkah valid off-screen? Faysal Quraishi thinks not. The Pakistani veteran actor is the latest to remark on the issue of the complexities surrounding the portrayal of nikkah scenes in dramas. The heated debate comes after a recent statement made by a religious scholar on a television show who maintained that if two actors enact a scene of nikkah in a drama, their marriage would be deemed valid in reality. 

This assertion has stirred widespread controversy, with individuals from the Entertainment industry and social media iNFLuencers weighing in on the matter. Faysal's comments were shared by his wife Sana Faysal, who posted a video on her Instagram Stories teasing the actor about the ruling and his numerous on-screen marriages.

"Regarding the scholar’s recent ruling that fictionalized nikkah proceedings in dramas and films are valid off-screen, you have been married 3-4 times in every recent drama of yours. By that calculation, you must have a lot of wives," Sana jokingly remarked in the video.

Faysal responded to the controversy with a measured approach, highlighting the importance of consulting religious scholars on such matters. "I raised a question on this to religious scholars in my program too," he explained. "They said that if the whole necessary protocol for nikkah is not followed, like the way nikkah is generally held, the way permission is sought and the word ‘nikkah’ is used…If these conditions are not met, then you are safe."

He further elaborated, “There are some words that necessitate certain protocols and being Muslims, we have to abide by them. When these nikkah scenes are being shot, we talk about random stuff with Maulana Sahab. He asks mid-way, ‘Qabool hai?’ and we say yes.”

Acknowledging the gravity of the issue, the Khaie actor emphasised the need for proper debate and clarification from religious authorities. "This is a very serious issue, we should not make light of this," he stated. "I think there should be a proper debate held on this. I will reach out to my friends who are clerics and scholars because it’s very important that we have a fatwa on this."

Earlier, model and actor Nadia Hussain took to her Instagram to express her concerns regarding the declaration. In a lengthy video shared on her Instagram account, Nadia was visibly shocked by the scholar's viewpoint. She highlighted that the portrayal of nikkah in dramas is purely fictional. 

She further pointed out the use of fake names, witnesses, and signatures in these fictional scenarios, asserting that the entire setting is not conducive to a legitimate marriage ceremony. Nadia further argued that such statements from religious scholars on television could potentially set a dangerous precedent by incorrectly legitimising invalid marriages.

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