English Speaking Imam in Bali? Nikah Siri for Foreign Muslim Visitors

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Member since 28 August 2018

mocambicanaMember28 August 2018 21:59:49

Hi all!

I am enquiring about whether it is possible for two foreign muslim visitors to Bali to have our nikah while we are there? FYI: I am on a New Zealand passport, and my fiance is on an Egyptian passport. He is a born muslim and i converted a few years ago. We are looking to visit some time next year. We are also in our late 20s/early 30s, and have both never been married before.

I realise that we could have a combined civil marriage alongside an officially registered nikah in Indonesia, however we won't have the time in our schedule or current financially resources to also travel to Jakarta to sort out the legal paperwork (where our embassies are).
We've decided that it would be much easier to have a civil marriage in New Zealand, however the New Zealand trip will be after the Bali one! It is my understanding that in Indonesia this type of ceremony is called a 'Nikah Siri', and as long as we have two witnesses, a wali, mahr and an imam conducting it is halal and valid (like a nikah anywhere else). This would allow us to cohabit when necessary as husband and wife (islamically), while we organise our legal wedding in New Zealand later next year. Logistically not possible to have a nikah in Egypt or NZ at this point due to work conflicts. A nikah while we are both in Bali together would be ideal.

Does anyone have any information about local mosques/imams in Bali who speak English that would be able to conduct this for us? Any help or contacts at all would be much appreciated! I would love to try to organise as much of this as I can before our arrival into Bali.

Cheers!

zanzio Active member

Member since 27 October 2015

zanzioActive member29 August 2018 06:17:37

Hi Mocambicana,

We don't know much about "siri" marriage
If there are people in the villages as possible was because of limited access to KUA (office) village is too far away. And from the point of financing can not afford to do the wedding is recorded because there are costs, poor man and so forth.

so are you foreigners who are different citizens want to marry "Siri" in Bali definitely difficult and complicated because this is very taboo.

Cheers

mocambicana Member

Member since 28 August 2018

mocambicanaMember29 August 2018 06:38:18

Thank you! That’s actually really good to know. I guess when we read about nikah in Indonesia, nikah Siri came up a lot. But that’s interesting that it’s quite taboo...definitely don’t want to do anything that will end up being invalid.

Fred Indonesia Expert

Member since 02 August 2009

A smile is the universal welcome.
Max Eastman

FredIndonesia Expert29 August 2018 06:52:02

28303

The only times I've come across siri here have been:

People too poor to afford a full wedding
Men taking second wives (without the first wife's knowledge on one occasion)
Underage couples (or one underage partner), usually forced into marriage by poverty - Sadly common in villages

It legitimises sex as far as Islam is concerned but has no force in law here or anywhere else. However, as the OP intends to conduct a civil ceremony in NZ, that's no issue.
I've never discussed this with anyone outside the above mentioned cases so I have no idea how a foreign couple would go about it. I would GUESS your best bet would be to talk to imams when you get here and see if any are willing to do it.
As for the wali, it's normally the bride's father but I suppose it may be possible to substitute - Again, ask the imam but I knew one couple that ran away to get married and managed to get it sorted without the father being around.

As far as I'm aware there are no religious scholars posting here so advice is limited and prone to inaccuracy.

mocambicana Member

Member since 28 August 2018

mocambicanaMember29 August 2018 07:02:16

Cheers Fred, I really appreciate the insight. I don’t know if wait and see is something we’re willing risk, so it looks like back to the drawing board. Good to know these things now though!

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