Nikah, or nikkah, (Arabic: النكاح ‎), is the contract between a bride and bridegroom and part of an Islamic marriage, a strong covenant (mithaqun Ghalithun) as expressed in Qur'an 4:21.




The first part of the marriage ceremony, nikah, is the signing of the marriage contract itself.

Various traditions may differ in how nikah is performed because different groups accept different texts as authoritative. Therefore, Sunnis will tend to accept Bukhari Hadith while Shia will have their own collections, for example Furu al-Kafi, thus producing different procedures. This contract requires the consent of both parties if they are adults. There is a tradition in some Muslim countries, outside of the religion, to pre-arrange a marriage for young children. However, the marriage still requires consent when the wedding actually goes ahead. A nikah allows both parties to add conditions. Islam does allow divorce (talaq) so this contract is revocable. Marriage is seen as a necessity in Islam and is seen as helpful in avoiding zina (extramarital sex) or cruelty. A marriage which is carried out unofficially without informing the public is called nikah urfi.