A Brief Of Rituals Involved In A Muslim Matrimonial

By Author: Ankush Singhal
Total Articles: 173
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In the Muslim community, the wedding alliance is believed to be the base of a society and family life. This is the reason why the Muslim matrimonial is very structured and the rights and duties of both the bride and groom are defined. Every wedding alliance demands love and respect and the fulfilling of such obligations create a balance between the family life and personal life of the couple.

According to Qur'an, an alliance in Muslim community is a bond with tranquility, love and mercy, where the husband and wife as considered as garments for each other. This reference is due to the fact that garments offer security, comfort, and warmth, and seal the modesty.

The Muslim wedding is in itself a party that starts at the time that the couple will communicate the Imam his marriage. The festivities last for several days, with great jubilation and joy to Mohammad.

The Muslim matrimonial celebration lasts for four to seven days. After the traditional betrothal, the couple stands in front of a judge, who is called a "sheikh", in the presence of three witnesses and guests.

After the wedding is solemnized and ...
... the marriage contract is signed, the celebrations take place some days later. The wedding feast in a Muslim matrimonial is organized at the home of the bride or groom or a community center, which is preferable these days.

One of the traditional rituals is application of henna on the hands and feet of the bride. Henna symbolizes marital bliss and fertility, which apparently also scares off bad omen. In some Muslim communities, henna is also applied to the grooms.

Before the wedding, the bride receives a ceremonial bath behind a curtain, which represents the transition between her single life and married life. The bride is given all details of the wedding by the elderly woman. The bride also carries large gold jewelry and beads. There is a compulsory concept of dowry in the Muslim wedding, which refers to a generous contribution, including money or jewellery to ensure future economic stability of the couple. According to the Qur'an, the dowry ensures secured provides security for the future of women.

The wedding day begins with reading of some of the verses from the Qur'an. The bride and groom are asked for their consent for the wedding and after approval from both sides, and the Qazi (priest). The bride and groom are then declared as married in Muslim matrimonial. The heads of the bride and groom are covered by a piece of cloth and prayers are read under the guidance of the Qazi (priest).

At the time of the wedding in Muslim matrimonial, the focus is on the mosque and its imam, though the wedding can also be performed at home. For solemnizing of a Muslim wedding, four conditions are required to be met:

1. Consent of both bride and groom
2. Presence of the father of the bride, along with the written consent of the bride
3. Two witnesses
4. Signatures of both bride and groom on the contract. The contract praises God's name according to the rite of Islam and includes the first chapter of the Koran.

The Muslim Matrimony includes sumptuous feast, which is arranged for the couple, and includes a number of vegetarian and non-vegetarian cuisines. The banquet usually consists of roast lamb, couscous, kebabs, stuffed croissants and almond dessert. After the dinner, the bride and groom are made to sit together for the first time. After the completion of all the rituals, the bride bids goodbye to her parent’s house, and enters her new life with her husband.

Rashmi writes on behalf of Jeevansathi.com, which is India’s fastest growing Matrimonial website. Jeevansathi.com enables users to create and search corresponding matches for their respective profiles like Muslim Matrimonial, Sunni Matrimonial wherein users can avail free registration and make initial contact with each other.