An ideal Islamic marriage is based on some necessary rituals. It goes on from the point of proposal, to the mehr and finally to the Nikahnama ceremony genau hier. The proposal by a man to the bride’s father is the first step of a respectable Islamic marriage. It is regarded as a matter of dignity between both the families. When the family of the bride accepts the proposal, then the proposing husband offers Mehr to the bride. Mehr is a demand for gifts placed by the bride and it is her right to ask for it, before the nikahnama ceremony takes place. This offer should be mutually agreed upon between both the partners, since it is a gift and not dowry or any price of exchange. But, it can be en-cashed at times as per the agreement between both the husband and the wife.
After the acceptance of the proposal and fulfillment of Mehr activities, the nikah ceremony takes place. This ceremony is conducted to acknowledge the contract of marriage between the families as well as the husband and the wife. Nikahnama is a document, which needs to be signed by the bride at the time of the wedding ceremony. Nikahnama is a ritual document, which helps the bride in getting to know about her rights before marrying a Muslim man in order to lead a happy married life. It specifies the rights of the bride and addresses serious issues that the bride may want to ponder over prior to marriage. If she agrees, then the Nikahnama is bound to come into action during any future instances of marital dispute.
The Nikahnama consists of some very important sections that need to be signed by the bride after agreeing to each principle. One of them is the ‘right to divorce’ – if this is struck off, the wife will not be able to seek talaq from the husband. In this case, she is entitled to take khula from court by giving up her Mehr. Age is also noted in the Nikahnama. The girl has to be at least 16 years of age to get married. Thirdly, the girl may specify her maintenance allowance or the dowry she has brought in a document attached to the Nikahnama. Fourth, the amount of Mehr paid by the bridegroom to the bride is specified along with the nature of payment (cash or kind). It is also specified whether the Mehr is to be paid promptly or deferred until the wife demands it. In case the girl is given her Mehr, or a part of it, in the form of property, its value as agreed between both the parties is to be stated. Lastly, if the bridegroom is already married, he has to obtain official permission from his existing wife and the same needs to be stated in the Nikahnama.
Signing of the Nikahnama can be complicated and one may seek advice of a professional matchmaker service or consult with matrimonial services in USA. You may also find more information about Nikahnama on websites of professional matchmakers or matrimonial services in USA sites. There is a tremendous cultural diversity within the Islamic world. This diversity is also reflected in wedding ceremonies, which vary from region to region and sect to sect. My purpose here is to find the common threads in Islamic weddings as practiced today.
The Islamic marriage is known as Nikaah, which, incidentally, is from the Arabic word akd for “to unite”. Marriage in the Islamic faith is not only a social agreement but also a legal contract. This implies a “sterile”, perhaps even “cold” ceremony. This is not the case. Beyond the actual formalities that must be met, Muslim weddings are actually quite festive.
The first thing I wanted to learn was who officiates an Islamic marriage since Islam does not recognize any official clergy. I was surprised to learn that any Muslim with a thorough understanding of Islamic tradition may perform the wedding ceremony. Many, however, choose to engage the services of a marriage officer, called qazi. He acts as the supervisor of the marriage.
The formalities of the wedding are threefold, consisting of the proposal, the mahr and the nikaah
The proposal frequently goes beyond the man asking the woman for her hand in marriage, it extends to her family also. Islam does not require this but it is considered an act of respect to the woman and to her family and is strongly encouraged.
The mahr is, in its simplest terms, a gift, freely given, to the bride by her husband. Unlike the proposal, this is mandated by the Quran in Surah 4: 4. Quoting from Abdullah Yusuf Ali’s English translation, “And give the women (on marriage) their dower as a free gift; but if they, of their own good pleasure, remit any part of it to you, take it and enjoy it with right good cheer. ” Clearly, the mehr is a gift to the bride. In the course of my research, I discovered conflicting traditions that suggested the gift was to the bride’s family. Dower, by definition, is a gift from the groom to the bride. I believe these are cultural differences, but, bottom-line, such gifts to the family are not mandated in the Quran. The mehr is thought to be an insurance policy of sorts, to provide for the financial security of the bride in the event of the death of the husband or divorce. The couple, not the parents, must agree upon the mehr. The mehr is the bride’s right as stated in the Quran and it is a gift, freely given and not the bride’s price.
The nikaah ceremony, the equivalent of vows, is very simple and straightforward. The bride says, I have 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 man and wife.