Woman alleges deception after nikah ends in five days; man denies all claims

A woman who converted to Islam says she received a message ending her marriage just five days after a nikah ceremony in Lancashire. She alleges that the man misled her about his identity and existing marriage and that the relationship involved emotional abuse and sexual exploitation. The man denies all her allegations through his lawyers.

Her real name has been withheld to protect her identity. She said she met the man on the Muslim marriage platform Muzz about ten months earlier and believed he used a particular name and lived in Manchester. They spent six months speaking online and by video before meeting in person.

She said she believed their relationship was genuine and had no reason to doubt his proposal. What she expected to be a happy marriage instead became, in her account, some of the worst days of her life. She questioned why someone would go through such a process for sexual access.

Her account of the ceremony and message

After converting to Islam on June 2, she travelled to Brierfield in Lancashire for a nikah, the Islamic marriage ceremony. The ceremony described in the report was not a legally recognised marriage in England and Wales.

She had wanted to marry in her home city of Glasgow with family and friends present, but said the man opposed that. Looking back, she regarded this as a warning sign. In her understanding, a nikah in Scotland could take place alongside a legally recognised marriage.

She said he became angry when asked for identification and questioned why anyone needed to see it, saying marriage was easy and did not require it. She described the ceremony as taking place before two imams, followed by two nights together in a hotel.

Five days after the ceremony, she said, a text told her that he was divorcing her and had already done so. She recalled shock and confusion and described the marriage as a sham. She later learned, she said, that the name she knew him by was not his real name and that he was already married.

The man denies deception

The reporting states that the man was already in a legally and religiously recognised marriage with another woman. His lawyers rejected the woman's allegations as false, baseless and targeted at him. They said he had not concealed his existing marriage.

He also said he showed his driving licence when marrying her and did not hide his identity. These denials directly dispute her account; the allegations are not established findings.

Questions about checks before the nikah

The report says the mosque's marriage certificate contained missing details and incorrect information. The imam who conducted the ceremony, Mufti Adil Zaman, said both people had appeared happy and willing to marry. He said he had not considered it his responsibility to ask for further details.

The imam expressed sorrow about what happened and said the intention had been to treat everyone fairly, offer help and focus on matters directly known to those involved. He acknowledged a failure to verify the man's identity, while saying he had subsequently helped establish who the man was.

The Lancashire Council of Mosques, which assists with reconciliation after marital breakdown, said those conducting ceremonies have a responsibility to make the necessary inquiries beforehand.

Support groups and legal protections

Bilal Brown, founder of New Beginnings, which supports converts to Islam, said his organisation knew of cases of deception within the Muslim community. Rushed ceremonies and keeping family members out were warning signs, he said, adding that converts could be particularly vulnerable in such situations.

Former Lancashire policing and crime official Saima Afzal said lack of legal recognition for some Islamic ceremonies could create problems for women. She argued that attention should not stop at marriage status but also examine alleged manipulation and entrapment, which she characterised as fraud. That is her assessment, not a court ruling in this case.

A study submitted to Parliament in 2018 found that many Islamic marriages were not legally registered, leaving people without rights and protections attached to legal marriage. The point concerns civil recognition and protections, not a finding that every nikah has the same legal status in every circumstance.

Police and platform responses

Police Scotland said no action in Scotland had been established in connection with the case. Greater Manchester Police confirmed it had been asked to investigate the woman's complaint. These responses do not amount to a finding against either party.

Muzz said the man had been permanently removed from its platform. Chief executive Shahzad Younas said applicants are asked whether they are married, legally or otherwise, and married applicants are barred at registration.

He said normal checks covered email, telephone number and a selfie, but identity verification was optional rather than compulsory. Profiles show which checks are complete and which remain outstanding. The woman said she shared her experience to help prevent other women being deceived in the same way.