Question

While talking to my parents about their younger days, my mother told me that their wedding was an eye candy for the entire city. They had the best orchestra, the finest wine and the most expensive ballroom booked to accommodate as many as 1000 guests. She also said that they arranged a display of best dancing sequence and served food in gold platter.

I am over awed at all this. I had never heard of it all before. But now I am wondering was this nikah even valid. Am I an illegitimate child?

Answer

Every action that you have mentioned in the accounts of your parent's marriage is prohibited act. These are not only prohibited rather despicable acts in Shari'ah.

One should not even entertain or attend such gatherings. Similarly anyone who actively engaged in such activities should make sincere taubah for these acts.

However, all these acts do not affect the validity of their nikah. The nikah is an act of transaction between the husband and wife, in which there is an offer and an acceptance. This transaction between two people is not invalidated by the external factors which do not hinder the transaction itself. As long as its conditions are found, the nikah will remain valid.

In light of this, you are not an illegitimate child, and you should thank Allah for having given you understanding and ability to differentiate between right and wrong.