2. Muslim marriage and Islamic
wedding customs
aretraditions and practices that
relate to wedding ceremonies
and marriage rituals prevailing
within the Muslim world.
Participants in these rites belong
to communities of people who
have Islam as their faith.
3. Arranged marriages
Arranged marriages although young
people are at liberty to express their
preferences and state what they are
looking for in a prospective partner, it is
not the usual practice for them actively to
seek a partner for themselves. This is
mostly done by their parents or other
elders within the family. In other words, it
is usually an „arranged marriage‟.
Arranged marriage must fulfil the basic
condition of the freely given consent of
both the bride and the groom.
4. A „forced‟ marriage, where consent has not
been given by either the bride or the
groom, or is given only under excessive
pressure, is a different matter; this would
be contrary to the teachings of Islam, and
would immediately call into question the
validity of the marriage. Arranged
marriages are the general custom among
Muslims as the best way to find, vet and
meet potential husbands or wives within
the overall context of the Islamic way of
life.
5. Choice of partner
With regards to freedom of choice when
marrying within their religion, Muslim
men and women are given the right to
choose who they want to marry. When
marrying outside the religion, Muslim
men may marry Christian or Jewish
women but not other religions. Muslim
women are not allowed to marry outside
of Islam. In relation to women, men are
encouraged to get married to religiously
devoted women. Same-sex Marriage is
not allowed in Islam.
6. What to look for in a man
According "Initiating and Upholding an
Islamic Marriage", Hedaya Hartford
states that there are many significant
factors to consider prior to getting
married. When looking for a potential
spouse one should look for specific
virtues- In a husband these are:
Piety, A halaal (lawful)
income, sufficient to support his
household, basic Islamic
knowledge, because Allah says in the
Quran,
7. "Protect yourself and your family from
the fire"
(Qur'aan, 66:6)., contentment, ability
to make mature judgments, ability to
understand and think soundly, a
forgiving nature, tolerance, an even
temper, patience, generosity, responsi
bility, protectiveness, cooperation, bei
ng from a decent stable family, and
good appearance and bodily
cleanliness (Hartford 50).
8. What to look for in a woman
According "Initiating and Upholding an
Islamic Marriage", Hedaya Hartford
states the qualities you look for in a
woman to make your wife and the
mother of your children are:
Piety, affectionate and easy going
nature, ability to make mature
judgments, ability to understand and
think
soundly, obedience, patience, contentme
nt, being from a decent stable
family, good appearance and bodily
cleanliness (Hartford 52-53).
9. Dowries
At the wedding, a Muslim husband
typically gives a gift, known as
the Mahr or dower, to his wife. This type
of dower, based on what was agreed
upon by the couple, could be in the form
of any item and “in any amount”. An
example is a cantar or a “great amount”
of gold. However, the man can also
marry a woman based on the amount of
knowledge he has about the
Quran, even though he has no material
10. Afterthe consummation of their
marriage, it is customary for the male
spouse to give a wedding
reception, known as the Walima, to
family members and friends. Such a
reception serves as a celebration of
the couple‟s happiness.
11. In Islam, both husbands and wives are
described to have equal duties and
rights, although men are further described as
having a “degree above” their wives. The
Islamic rationale for this is that the husband is
given authority within the household because
he has received a heavier load of
responsibilities, which include taking care of
the woman who has become his wife, and
that he also provides financial support to her.
Wives are expected to respect their husbands
wishes. On the other hand, men are expected
to safeguard their women, because they were
married to women with God‟s trust.
12. The Philippines
Muslim communities in
the Philippines include the Tausug tribe,
a group of people in Jolo who practice
matrimonial activities based on their own
ethnic legislation and the laws of Islam.
Their customary and legal matrimony is
composed of negotiated arranged
marriage (pagpangasawa), marriage
through the “game of abduction”
(pagsaggau),
and elopement (pagdakup).
Furthermore, although Tausug men may
acquire two wives, bigamous or plural
marriages are rare.
