Series of Questions Addressed to Scholar Sheikh Ata Bin Khalil Abu Al-Rashtah,
Ameer of Hizb ut Tahrir through his Fiqhi Facebook Page
Answer to the Question

Entrance of the Bridegroom to the Function Hall of the Women
To: Sameh Rayhan Abu Myassara, Khilafah "Caliphate" wa'ad Allah, and Sofyan Qasrawi
(Translated)

Questions

Question by Sameh Rayhan Abu Myassara

Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuh, is there something forbidden about the bridegroom informing the women that he will enter to see his bride in the wedding, so all the women sit down and cover themselves and only his female Maharem will stay around him in order to congratulate him, whilst the foreign women have covered up and sat in their seats and no mixing has occurred between them and the bridegroom when he entered the function hall? May Allah bless you all.

Question by Khilafah "Caliphate" wa'ad Allah,

Is it allowed for the bridegroom to sit next to his bride in order to adorn her with jewelry knowing that all of the women are covered and the majority of them are from the Maharem and then he leaves?

Question by Sofyan Qasrawi

Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuh, our esteemed Sheikh I have a question which is: If the wedding time for the Maharem is set and another time is set for the non-Maharem, is it allowed for the bridegroom to enter the function hall when it is time for the Maharem only?

Answer

Wa Alaikum Assalam wa Rahamatullah wa Barakatuh,

Your three questions are of the same topic, and so we shall answer them collectively, bi'ithnAllah.

We have previously responded on the 6th of Jumada ath-Thani, 1424 AH, corresponding with 08/08/2003 CE, to the topic of mixing in wedding function halls via a detailed response, and the following was mentioned in it:
"- Mixing between the men and women is forbidden, and there is an abundance of evidence for that, and the life of Muslims in the period of Messenger of Allah (saw), and the companions who came after him (saw), have been witness to that. Mixing is not permitted except what is necessitated by the Shariah as stated in the text of the Book of Allah or the Sunnah of His Messenger, such as buying and selling, ties of kinship ... etc.

The text does not mention the permissibility of men and women in the function halls (weddings), rather it is mentioned in the time of the Messenger of Allah (saw) and his companions that the women would be with the bride all together alone, and the men alone. In this way, mixing in the function halls is forbidden, without any exceptions, and what has been mentioned in weddings is that in the proceeding of the bride to the house of her husband, it is allowed that she is taken by men and women to her husband's house, then the men separate from the women...

Upon that, the existence of men and women in function halls without separation; meaning one hall and not two halls, is forbidden (haram). Also, if the awrahs are exposed, as it is common these days, then the haram is even worse. Moreover, having the bridegroom sitting next to his bride surrounded with women, Maharem and non-Maharem, is forbidden (haram), especially when they expose their awrah, as it is common these days for the women around the bride...

As for saying that this affliction being widespread does not make the Haram a Halal, and it is a saying repeated by the person contradicting the Shariah. There are also Hadiths which commend the people who clenched onto their Deen as those who clench onto a hot coal due to the intensity of the affliction as the Muslim is when he clings to his Islam.

The Prophet of Allah (saw) says:

«يَأْتِي عَلَى النَّاسِ زَمَانٌ الصَّابِرُ فِيهِمْ عَلَى دِينِهِ كَالْقَابِضِ عَلَى الْجَمْرِ»...."

"A time will come upon the people where the patient among them on his Deen is similar to that who clenches his fist on a hot coal..." (End)

According to that, having the bridegroom sitting with his bride in a function hall mixed with men and women is forbidden (haram), as well as the bridegroom sitting with his bride in a function hall for the women with the women around them, Maharem and non-Maharem, is forbidden (haram), so if this included the uncovering of the women's awrah and being in a state of tabarruj, it is haram more and more...

However, if the function hall has only his Maharem, then he is allowed to enter the hall and sit with his bride and with them and adorn her in jewelry and then leave, and then afterwards the other women may enter.

In conclusion:

1. Mixing between men and women in the wedding function halls is not allowed whether the awrah are uncovered or not, and if the forbidden awrah are uncovered then the haram is even worse.

2. The bridegroom is not allowed to enter the function hall of the women in order to sit with his bride as long as the women foreign to him are in the hall, even if he informs the women to cover themselves before he enters, and they don't come near the bridegroom except for his Maharem... as long as the foreign women are in the function hall and in their seats watching him; meaning in the hall, it is not allowed.

3. It is allowed for the bridegroom to enter and sit with his bride in the function hall if a certain time for only the Maharem has been allocated, by which no one else other than the Maharem are in the hall throughout his entrance and his sitting with his bride, then the bridegroom leaves afterwards and the rest of the women enter after he leaves.

Your brother,
Ata Bin Khalil Abu Al-Rashtah

The link to the answer from the Ameer's Facebook page