Muslim Wedding Ceremony

Islam has spread its tentacles far and wide and it is one of the most popular religions in the world. It stretches across diverse political and cultural landscape with practices as diverse as the countries from which they belong. In Islam, marriage is considered as a religious obligation or a religious contract between Allah and the couple who are getting married.

Pre-wedding rituals

Mangni: Muslim wedding ceremony begins with Mangni which is nothing but a ring exchange ceremony. This is the engagement ceremony. The ring exchange ceremony symbolizes the couple’s commitment to each other.

Mehendi: This ceremony is held at the bride’s home a few days prior to the wedding. During this ceremony, the bride is smeared with turmeric paste by her female relatives so as to bring out the glow in her complexion. Subsequently, mehendi is applied on her hands too.

Meher: Meher  is nothing but a formal statement wherein the groom states a particular monetary amount to be given to the bride. Meher comprises two parts, namely a prompt and a monetary amount to be given to the bride throughout her life.

 At present, many couples consider the wedding ring as the prompt as the bridegroom presents it during the meher ceremony. The monetary gift is not mandatory as it can be replaced by other gifts like land, jewelry etc.  The meher belongs only to the bride and she can use it in whatever way she likes if the marriage breaks up before it is consummated. The meher gives a sense of security and freedom to the bride.

The wedding  (Nikah)

During the nikah ceremony, the marriage contract is accepted or signed. The groom or one of his relatives reads out the contract and proposes to the bride in front of at least two relatives. The bride and groom accept the contract and other related matters and say ‘qabul’, which means ‘accept’ (in Arabic). The same word is said by them three times.  Subsequently, the couple and two male witnesses sign the contract thereby declaring the marriage legal.

Vows and Blessings

An additional religious ceremony following the nikah can be added. It includes the recitation of the Fatihah, which is the first chapter of the holy Quran.  It is important to note that many Muslim brides and grooms do not take the vows. Instead, they are given sermons about the meaning of marriage and their responsibilities. They are also given religious discourse which includes their religious responsibilities.

Post-wedding Rituals

Chauthi ceremony

It is a ceremony which is conducted on the fourth day after the wedding. On this particular day, the bride visits her natal home. She receives a warm welcome from her parents and other relatives on this day.

It is important to note that Muslim wedding rituals are very simple and pleasant too. Muslim wedding rituals also vary according to ethnicity and geographical locations. However, the main ceremonies like meher and nikah procedures and other important wedding rituals are the same for every Muslim wedding all over the world.