Nikah Ceremony: Things To Know About The Muslim Wedding
A Muslim wedding usually has a couple of religious traditions that most generations follow. When it comes to an Islamic wedding, a Nikah ceremony is a must for the bride and groom to officially marry one another.
If you’re curious about what a Nikah ceremony is and why it is a must during an Islamic wedding, read on to find out more!
Muslim Wedding: The History of Nikah
In the olden days during a Muslim wedding, women did not have free will with whom they got married. Most women had arranged marriages to get part of the spouse’s inheritance. Once Prophet Muhammad managed to change this by making certain changes to the Quran and in the Islam religion, hence the bride is required to give her consent before marrying any partner.
There will be two witnesses who will be present to witness the bride and groom sign the marriage contract so that the bride’s consent is confirmed. In other words, the witnesses have to make sure that the bride accepts the marriage and is not against her free will.
A Nikah ceremony is also where both the families of the bride and groom gather together to meet one another officially. In other words, a bonding session among both families.
What is a Nikah Ceremony in a Muslim Wedding?
A Nikah ceremony is basically a contract that is signed between a groom and a bride. This is to officialise their marriage as an official agreement to marry one another. In the Islam religion, marriages are not allowed without the agreement of both the bride and groom.
The couple will have a ceremony leader (commonly known as an imam) where they have to mention “I accept” about three times in front of him. Once the vows have been said, the couple will be required to sign the contract and officially be called husband and wife.
During the Nikah ceremony, the couple has to agree to the mahr, which is a gift of money given to the bride. However, these days during modern times, the ring can be used as the mahr or it can be what the bridge prefers. For instance, jewellery, land, or some form of education.
Once the bride and groom have officially signed the marriage contract during Nikah day, it will be much harder, or to be more precise, it is against the law for the couple to divorce. It is also one of the reasons why a Nikah ceremony is part of an Islamic Wedding, which is to prevent divorces from occurring on a regular basis.
What are the practices or procedures of the Nikah ceremony?
In a Muslim wedding, the Nikah ceremony will be held in the mosque or in the couple’s homes. Some couples will place the bride and groom in separate rooms and the groom will only get to see the bride once the Nikah ceremony has been completed.
Bear in mind, that if the Muslim wedding or Nikah ceremony takes place in a mosque, all guests are required to take off their shoes before entering.
During the Nikah day, in terms of attire, the bride and groom will be given a set of clothes which is usually a white baju kurung for the woman and white baju Melayu for the man.
The guests are free to wear anything that is of modest attire. Just make sure the arms and legs are completely covered and wear bright colours. Though any attire is appropriate, as long as you follow these general guidelines.
The bride usually does not have to perform anything other than signing the marriage contract. She will typically just observe the entire Nikah ceremony.
Requirements of the Nikah Ceremony
During the Nikah ceremony, there are a few primary practices or procedures that are required. Do take note that it differs from one Muslim wedding to another as different families have various types of cultures involved.
- Mutual Consent Agreement between the bride and groom
- A legal guardian or representative (Wali), usually the bride’s father
- Two adult Muslim witnesses (either 2 males or 1 male and 2 females)
- Mahr, which is a gift given to the bride from the groom
- Written marriage contract which has to be signed by the couple (with the two witnesses)
- Kadi, which is the Muslim judge or official Islamic Officiant to legalize the couple that is usually the Imam
- A sermon will bless the marriage, including making Du’aa
What gifts to bring while attending Nikah Ceremony?
Gifts are one of the main highlights of a Muslim wedding or Nikah Ceremony. Guests who attend any Islamic wedding have to come bearing gifts for the bride and groom. If it’s your first time attending a Nikah ceremony, you might be wondering what are the nikah gifts for couples that make the perfect options.
Some of the common gifts include:
- Islamic Calligraphy Canvas – they can hang this around the house, many Muslims love to portray the Islam culture with various decorations in their homes.
- Attar Set – this is a natural alcohol-free perfume that is traditionally used in Muslim cultures.
- Candles – get the ones that are traditional-looking and portray the Islamic culture. Many newlyweds would love to light up nice-smelling candles around the house or simply use them as decorations.
- A Set of Prayer Beads – Also known as Tasbih, Muslims usually use these beads to know how many times they’ve said a verse in the Quran. Consider the ones made out of exotic bead materials such as aloeswood.
- Hijab Brooch Set – The bride would benefit from getting a gorgeous brooch set when wearing hijabs.
- Blacksmith Cufflinks – The groom would benefit from getting cufflinks, especially when wearing traditional Muslim wedding attire.
Venue for Nikah Ceremony
If you’re looking for something different when it comes to your venue, you can consider The Estate KL where you can have your Nikah ceremony in a garden venue! They will handle everything from A to Z – all you have to do is confirm your number of guests and let the team of experts take everything from there.