Islamic Wedding Traditions
There is a tremendous cultural variety within the Islamic globe. This variety is also reflected in wedding ceremonies, which differ from area to region and sect to sect. My purpose here is to find the typical threads in Islamic weddings as practiced today.
The Islamic relationship is recognized as Nikaah, which, incidentally, is in the Arabic word akd for “to unite”. Relationship within the Islamic faith isn't only a social agreement but also a legal contract. This implies a “sterile”, perhaps even “cold” ceremony. This is not the case. Past the actual formalities that must be met, Muslim weddings are really quite festive.
The first factor I wanted to learn was who officiates an Islamic marriage because Islam does not recognize any official clergy. I was surprised to discover that any Muslim with a thorough understanding of Islamic tradition might perform the wedding ceremony. Several, however, select to engage the services of a marriage officer, known as qazi. He acts as the supervisor of the relationship.
The formalities of the wedding are threefold, consisting from the proposal, the mahr and the nikaah
The proposal often goes past the guy asking the lady for her hand in marriage, it extends to her household also. Islam doesn't require this but it's considered an act of respect to the lady and to her household and is strongly encouraged.
The mahr is, in its simplest terms, a present, freely given, to the bride-to-be by her husband. Unlike the proposal, this is mandated by the Quran in Surah four:4. Quoting from Abdullah Yusuf Ali’s English translation, “And give the ladies (on relationship) their dower as a free gift; but if they, of their personal good pleasure, remit any component of it to you, take it and appreciate it with right good cheer.” Clearly, the mehr is a present towards the bride. Within the course of my study, I discovered conflicting traditions that suggested the gift was to the bride’s family. Dower, by definition, is a present in the groom towards the bride. I think these are cultural differences, but, bottom-line, such gifts towards the household aren't mandated in the Quran. The mehr is thought to become an insurance policy of sorts, to provide for that financial security from the bride-to-be in the event of the death from the husband or divorce. The few, not the mother and father, should agree upon the mehr. The mehr is the bride’s right as stated in the Quran and it's a present, freely given and not the bride’s price.
The nikaah ceremony, the equivalent of vows, is extremely simple and straightforward. The bride says, I've given my self away in Nikaah to you, on the agreed Mahr.” The groom immediately responds, “I have accepted the Nikaah.” The marriage contract is signed and they become guy and wife.
In some cultures, the wedding ceremony festivities final 5 days. Working day 1 is dinner with the girl’s family and day two is dinner with the boy’s household. Day three is the Mehendi ritual, which is for the bride-to-be and her female friends. This ritual usually takes place at the bride’s home. Mehendi (henna) patterns are used to adorn the feet and hands of the bride-to-be. Working day 4 will be the actual Nikaah ritual. Working day five, the couple dines using the bride’s parents and the groom’s household hosts a feast (Valimah) for friends and household.
Ester Millington is a writer for Skylighter which sells confetti cannons , confetti cannon and punk sticks as well as a variety of other items.
