Muslim Wedding

TRADITIONS AROUND THE WORLD

Dear bride, there are about 1.6 billion Muslims in the world. All have their own beautiful cultures and nationalities. Muslim wedding traditions will become a unique blend of religious and cultural beliefs.

Let us start with Islamic wedding timeline of events:

1. FATIHA

Fatiha, also known as the blessing of Muslim newlywed and involves reading the first surah of the Qur'an in the presence of their families. Fatiha is a very sacred ceremony which takes several hours. The whole meaning of this Islamic marriage tradition is to provide the couple with the chance to attend each other's houses, to talk with each other's family at the will of the Almighty.

2. THE HENNA NIGHT

This night is like a bachelorette party whereby at the eve of the ceremony Muslim bride, her relatives and friends apply henna also known as mehndi, embroideries are drawn on the palm and foot. The Henna should be of high quality because it is believed that the properly applied design gives the newlyweds peace, success and bliss.

3. NIKAH



Without the performance of the Nikah, Muslim marriage would simply be invalid. Depending on what the couple may want, this ceremony may occur in the presence of a small family circle or the presence of all family and friends.

The Nikah is a highly important Muslim wedding ceremony whereby the newlyweds sit opposite an Imam and between two witnesses, both from the groom and the bride. The Imam then reads the verses of the Qur'an and then presents a lecture about the importance of marriage in Islam. He then describes the rights of a husband and wife. In result, the spouses sign a marriage contract, which explains the legitimacy of the Muslim marriage union.



Mahr is a mandatory payment, in the form of bonus paid by the groom, to the bride at the time of marriage indicating his love and devotion.

4. VALIMA

The Valima is the second part of a Muslim wedding ceremony that normally occurs in the wedding banquet that is usually arranged by the groom. During Valima the guests and family wish the newlyweds a prosperous life. This event is a bright, lively feast with traditional food, music and dancing.

5. THE ENTRY OF THE BRIDE

The entry of the bride is a very popular Islamic marriage tradition that is normally performed in the Middle East. The bride is waiting for the arrival of the groom, who picks her up before the start of the Muslim wedding celebration. The groom comes with a motorcade while traditional Arabic drummers are waiting for the groom's arrival. The event is noted by a lot of dancing and drumming.



Muslim traditions of celebrating wedding around the world have different traditions and customs and of course, their goal is the same everywhere, the order of a union between two people who want to be together for the rest of their lives.

Here is a list of the most meaningful Muslim wedding celebration traditions around the world:

1.MOROCCO

Weddings in Morocco last about three days. During the first day, the bride invites her friends and relatives at the Hammam. The Hammam is a Middle Eastern version of the steam bath.

On the second day, the henna party takes place. This is an only women's event where henna is applied onto the arms and legs of the bride. According to Moroccans, the henna not only promises optimism but the fertility of the bride.

On the last day, there is a wedding ceremony which is filled with traditional Moroccan dresses and jewellery. The groom and bride are sitting in the Amaria which is a type of decorated platform which is held by about three to four young people. This is done to emphasise the event occurring.

2.RUSSIA

In Russia, very unusual Muslim wedding rituals are performed. Firstly, there are two weddings performed, one in the brides home and the grooms home. The guests come from all over the world and their number often ranges from 500 to 1500 guests.

Back in the old days, the groom kidnapped the bride with her permission. This normally occurred when the groom was at a lower class than the bride and could not marry her.

The most significant thing is the Nikah. If the Nikah is not performed the Muslim marriage will not be valid. Once the marriage is done, the couple visits the mosque to complete the wedding traditions. After that, the couple returns to the wedding hall.

3.MALAYSIA

Malaysian weddings are normally very luxurious. It is very unique because it adopts both Islamic and Asian traditions.

The first step is the acquaintance of two families during the 'Merisik' and 'Pertunangan' also known as the study of each others family and the engagement.

The second part is planning a wedding and choosing a date. A few days before the wedding ceremony the henna party is held called Berina. The Henna is applied on the bride to give her fertility ( as believed). The real wedding ceremony is held by Imam. After reading the ayahs from the Qur'an, the pair then sign the marriage agreement. The groom then gives the bride her dowry. During the day of Nikah, the couple wears traditional Malaysian clothing and spends this day like real royalty.

4.TURKEY

Weddings in Turkey begin with the petition of the hand of the bride and “Serz Cesme” whereby a marriage agreement is made in the presence of a lot of guests. The engagement is accomplished by putting on a ring and a scarf. Traditional weddings are characterised by rituals, such as placing the wedding flag during the Dhuhr prayer, meeting families on the night before the wedding.

The night of "Kuna Hedgehes" also known as henna night, there is an embroidering of the hands and feet of the bride. During the wedding day, a red ribbon is tied around the waist of the bride which is called "the belt of virginity" and is tied by her brother or close relatives.

The wedding ceremony commences after the bridegroom returns from the mosque along with the Imam. When entering the groom's house, the bride receives a gift from her in-laws and the newlyweds are guided by the sound of drums and trumpets.

5.SOMALI

Weddings are very important in Somali culture, it’s not just a union of two people or families but a union of two tribes. Somali weddings are seen as the creation of a unique alliance. As a rule, a contract is signed, provided for the payment of a certain amount to the bride in case there is a divorce. The ceremonies take place before and after the wedding. Somali wedding highlights a wide variety of traditional dishes and a lot of dancing. After marriage, the bride usually lives with her groom’s family.

6.INDIA

The Nikah, in India, begins with when the Imam of the local community offers prayers to the Almighty to bless the wedding being performed. First, they read the verses from the Qur'an, then the groom and the bride are asked three times if they truly want to be married. In addition to that, the couple signs a marriage agreement and receives blessings from the elders. Marking the end of the Nikah, the couple is presented with many different offerings.

7.BULGARIA

Marriages in Bulgaria are filled with various ceremonies and rituals that take place in about two days. The Pomaks live in Bulgaria- the people who descended from Bulgarian Christians and then converted to Islam during the Ottoman rule.

During the first day, gifts are placed for the bride outside her home which signifies prosperity and wealth. Following the second day, paint is applied to her face, which implies moving to a new family life. The paint also determines the purity of the bride. This ritual colouring is called “Gelin.” Then the Imam says the blessing, then the bride is taken to the groom's house. When the bride arrives at the groom's house, the groom removes the paint from her face.

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