Why didn't Adam and Hawwa as have a marriage ceremony?

- What if someone says that Adam and Hawwa did not have a marriage contract (wedding ceremony) and that sexual intercourse outside of marriage is haram?
- Was Hawwa created to be Adam’s wife?
- What does the Quran and Sunnah say about it?
- Does the Quran refer to her as a wife or a friend?

Dear Brother / Sister,

First of all, we would like to point out some basic rules:

1) Whether something is halal or haram depends on Allah’s orders and prohibitions.

The justification of different religions, which came in accordance with times and places, is the ordering of appropriate decrees or the introduction of prohibitions based on those different needs. For example, although it was permissible to be married to two sisters at the same time in the shari’ah of the Prophet Musa (Moses), it is forbidden in the shari’ah of Islam.

2) Marriage contract is like that too. If it had been obligatory for the Prophet Adam and Hawwa to have a wedding ceremony, there would have been no hall, no guests, no witnesses or guardians.

3) As a matter of fact, although marriage contract was made obligatory for all people including the Prophet (pbuh), the Prophet’s (pbuh) marriage to Zaynab was not based on marriage contract; their marriage was carried out directly by Allah - so to speak.

That fact is underlined in the following verse in brief: “Then when Zaid had dissolved (his marriage) with her, with the necessary (formality), We joined her in marriage to thee ... And Allah ‘s command must be fulfilled.” (al-Ahzab, 33/37)

4) “We said: O Adam! dwell thou and thy wife in the Garden; and eat of the bountiful things therein as (where and when) ye will; but approach not this tree, or ye run into harm and transgression.” (al-Baqara, 2/35) In the verse above, Hawwa is presented as the wife of Prophet Adam before entering Paradise.

However, we also have the following information in our sources:

Allah created Adam’s wife Hawwa for him from one of his left ribs. Meanwhile, the Prophet Adam was asleep. The reason why she was called “Hawwa” was the fact that she was created from a living being. When Adam woke up and saw her, he felt calm because of her. He extended his hand towards her. The angels said, “Slow down, Adam!” Adam said, “Why? Allah created her for me?” The angels said, “Until you give her mahr (you cannot touch her).” Adam asked, “What is her mahr?” They said, “Uttering salawat and salam for Muhammad three times.” (Qastalani, Mawahib, Beirut, 2004, 1/76)

Accordingly, it can be said that the marriage of Adam, our father, and Hawwa, our mother, took place in return for the mahr of uttering salawat three times for the Prophet (pbuh) under the witnessing of angels.

Questions on Islam