Makassar, South Sulawesi – The country's largest Muslim organization proclaimed on Friday that underage marriage is allowed, even if the bride or groom has not yet reached puberty, as long as the purpose of the marriage is to build a happy family.

Cholil Nafis, secretary of the religious issues committee at the 32nd Nahdlatul Ulama congress, said Islamic law stated that it is better to marry after reaching sexual maturity. However, he added, the law does not require waiting.

"They can get married at any age, even girls that haven't yet menstruated are allowed," he said. "And they can have an intimate relations, intercourse, if they are able to."

He emphasized that the objectives of the marriage must be positive. "Mind you that we don't encourage people to just get married to fulfill their desires, no," he said.

Cholil said NU was aware that other groups might disagree with the ruling. But the organization looks at the issue from a religious point of view, he said, while others may view it from other perspectives such as that of human rights.

"If people disagree with our fatwa, so be it," he said. "We never force people to follow what we say."

In its official report, NU wrote that underage marriages happened in several areas of the country in order to bind young couples. It mentioned a case in which a 10-year-old boy married a similarly young girl.

"There are some people who want their sons to marry certain girls, mostly, both families know each other and they want to keep their good relationship," Cholil said.

The marriage is like a normal wedding, the report says, except that the parents stand in for the children. The girl and boy are then separated. After they finish school and are read for adult responsibilities, they are re-married. "That's the common thing that happens," said Cholil.