Fatwa from Kuwait regarding marriage to an infant sparks outrage

Researcher and author Gürkan Enginbrought to light a fatwa attributed to the Kuwaiti Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, which has reignited debates over "child marriages" and traditional religious understanding.

According to details obtained by 12punto writer Aydın Tonga, the official document, which addresses the religious dimensions of marriage to an infant, has caused astonishment due to its content.

"TOUCHING AND KISSING IS PERMISSIBLE, EXCLUDING SEXUAL INTERCOURSE"

The Kuwaiti Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairspublished in the "Collection of Sharia Fatwas" (Majmu'at Al-Fatawa Al-Shar'iyya) in fatwa number 6058, the question is asked: "Is it permissible to marry a female child in the nursing stage and to enjoy her through kissing and other ways that do not cause harm, excluding sexual intercourse?"

The answer section of the document, which has drawn the most criticism, contains the following statements: "If the marriage contract fulfills the requirements of Islamic law, the woman is considered his wife in every respect; it is permissible for the man to look at her, touch her, and kiss her. However, the man cannot engage in sexual intercourse with her until she is physically capable of enduring it without causing her any harm."

SOURCES VERIFIED

12punto, which examined Gürkan Engin's claims and the links he referenced, WikiIslamalso accessed the sources and the original Arabic text of the fatwa. As a result of the verification efforts, it was determined that the questions and answers provided match the official source records exactly.

GÜRKAN ENGİN: "HOW CAN SUCH A MENTALITY BE TRUSTED?"

Speaking after the news broke, Gürkan Engin stated that he normally prefers not to discuss the issue of child marriage through such striking examples, but that recent debates on social media pushed him to share this reality.

Opposing the defense by some circles that "these marriages do not exist in tradition," Engin emphasized that child marriages are explicitly present in jurisprudence (fiqh) books and tradition.

Stating that a large segment of society does not understand the Quran, leading to a misunderstanding of religion where jurisprudence has effectively become the "religion" itself, Engin concluded his criticisms with this fundamental question: "Traditional religious interpretation has not even been able to recognize a situation like child marriage. How can such an understanding/mentality be trusted?"

(Researcher and author Gürkan Enginshared a fatwa document that addresses the religious ruling on marriage to a female child in the nursing stage and physical intimacy thereafter. In fatwa number 6058, which is stated to belong to the Kuwaiti Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs' Collection of Sharia Fatwas, the validity of a marriage to a female child in the nursing stage and whether physical intimacy after the marriage is permissible are discussed.)

MARRIAGE AGE IN KUWAIT IS NOW 18

According to research, this highly controversial fatwa number 6058 dates back to the 2001-2002 period. In Kuwait, where the fatwa was issued, it is noted that the legal age of marriage was recently updated to 18 through a legal amendment (2025).

News Source: 12punto