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Muslim Marriage Rituals

A Muslim marriage and subsequently a Muslim Wedding is a weaving together of families, of two souls, and of two destinies. It is considered as a big and very auspicious occasion in all cultures of the world. Different cultures have different wedding traditions and ceremonies, and every culture has its own treasure of wedding ceremonies, wedding customs and rituals. Muslim wedding is celebrated in a grand way over a period of five days. Muslim culture all over the world is known to have one of the best in inviting and welcoming guests. Wedding Ceremonies give them a chance to entertain guests in bulk.

Muslim Wedding Rituals are very different from the Hindu rituals as it is a contract, and hence the Urdu name Nikahnaama for the Muslim wedding. The agreement between the bride and the groom is called Ijab-O-Qubul. There are witnesses and a Mehr, which is the form of appreciation, the groom has to pay the bride. The contract of the Muslim wedding is recorded in black and white. The Muslim priest is called Kaazi who oversees the proceedings of the wedding.

The Baraat, Nikaah Ceremony, Sermons and Nikahnaama are the important Muslim Wedding Rituals.

Baraat is procession of family, relatives, and friends of groom that accompany the groom to bride’s home for official wedding ceremony. Groom makes his way to the bride's home on a richly decked horse or in a car and “baraat” follows in different vehicles. Groom is given warm welcome by the bride’s family with flower garlands and rose petals. Family and relatives of the groom and the bride exchange glasses of juice or sherbet along with money. Guests are welcomed by the bride’s sisters by playfully hitting them with a stick wrapped and decorated with flowers.

Nikah is purely Islamic official wedding ceremony that usually takes place at the bride or groom’s house at any convenient time. Nikah is attended byclose family members, relatives, and friends of groom and bride. However, these days it has become a fashion to hold the wedding ceremony in the banquet hall. In orthodox Muslim communities, the men and women are seated separately in Zenana (for woman) and Mardaana (for men). The Maulvi reads selected verses from the Quran and the Nikaah is complete after the Ijab-e-Qubul (proposal and acceptance). The validity of the Nikaah depends on proposal on one side, usually the groom`s (Ijab) and acceptance on the other side, the bride`s (Qubul). The mutual consent of the bride and groom is of great importance for the marriage to be legal. Besides, the Islam marriage law demands that neither of the parties must be legally incapacitated from entering into the marriage. 

Nikah-naama (document of marriage contract) is registered in Nikah. The Nikahnaama contains several terms and conditions that are to be respected by both parties (bride & groom). This is the signing of official paperwork in the presence of an Imam.  It includes bride’s right to divorce her husband. Nikahnaama specifies “Meher,” the monetary amount the groom will give the bride. Meher includes two amounts; one that is due before the marriage is consummated and the other that is a deferred amount given to the bride at a time to be determined. The Meher guarantees the bride's freedom within the marriage, and acts as the bride's safety net.

After signing these papers and doing some religious ceremony, the couple is declared husband and wife. Lavish dishes of dates and misri (unrefined sugar) are served to the groom's family. Groom is then escorted to his bride where he’s allowed to sit beside his wife. This is the time when sisters-in-law of groom play pranks and tease the groom.  

Mooh Dikhai is the ceremony of first time “showing of the face” after the Nikah. The couple is made to see each other in the mirror and the bride unveils her face that she keeps hidden during the Nikah. The custom of Mooh Dikhai is also called “Aarsi Musshaf.” The bride and groom share a piece of sweet fruit, such as a date and family and friends congratulate the couple and offer gifts. Dinner is served to the guests. The sisters, friends, and female cousins of bride take this opportunity to steal the groom's shoes and demand a sum of money for shoes. This is very popular custom and groom usually carries a lot of cash, due to the popularity of this custom. He pays money to get back his shoes and girls divide the money among themselves.

Ruksati is the ceremony to bid farewell to the bride before her departure to the groom's house. She says goodbye to her parents, close friends and family. The Quran is held over her head as a blessing. It’s a pretty touching moment. Although this practice is un-Islamic but a lot of Pakistani families have come to adopt it.

To announce the marriage officially the Walima( a grand reception ceremony to announce the wedding to community and friends) takes place as a feast given by the groom`s family. Both husband and wife welcome the guests and mingle with them while people eat dinner.  

Unlike other wedding rituals, the Muslim wedding rituals require the consent of the bride for the wedding. In the post-wedding rituals, the elderly women of the household bless the groom. The ritual of watching each other from mirrors is another interesting ritual in Muslim weddings.