Observing the Muslim Wedding Traditions to Be Followed at Traditional Weddings
When observing Islamic wedding traditions, there are certain traditions that need to be followed to make the wedding a blissful one, blessed by Allah. The bride and the groom’s family members play a role no less important than the married couple, and you will see why as you continue reading below.
Islamic marriage traditions might give you a cultural shock if you are attending it for the first time. These weddings are filled with so many festivities, colors, and feasts that you would find yourself joining the festive mood within several minutes of being a guest there.
Pre-Wedding Muslim Traditions
Did you know that the bride-to-be will stay inside her house as much as she can 7 days before her wedding day? While not considered to be a must-do tradition of the Muslim marriage, the bride typically wears yellow clothes within this duration. This is believed to bring more good luck into her life prior to the wedding.
While she’s home, she will also be reflecting on her life so far, along with how she will potentially lead her brand new life alongside her future husband. This would also be a good time for the bride to bond with her family members before she is officially a part of her new family!
Before the wedding, the groom’s mother would choose an auspicious date, on which she would visit the bride with some gifts, along with a silk scarf filled with a coin; this coin can be a gold or silver one. When the groom’s mother ties this scarf around the bride-to-be’s waist, it symbolizes her acceptance of the bride into her future family.
Muslim Wedding Ceremony: the Significant Traditions and Customs
Wedding Duration
Possibly one of the most interesting Muslim marriage traditions, Muslim weddings typically last for three full days, unlike the one-day standalone ceremony that most other cultures have. This is exactly why the bride’s family and the groom’s families are equally involved throughout the entire occasion!
Wedding Ceremony
On the first night of the wedding ceremony, the Muslim women would don festive yet traditional Islamic wear. In some South Asian regions, the bride-to-be would have her hands and feet decorated with mehndi, which you might also know as henna paint. This paint decorates the bride with intricate geometric patterns, not unlike those of mandalas.
This mehndi painting ceremony is usually exclusive to the women only, although there are exceptions where men and women attend this ceremony together too.
The Groom’s Arrival
Don’t expect the groom to arrive quietly or discreetly! Being a part of the Muslim marriage tradition, the groom’s arrival is often accompanied by his own wedding party when he visits the bride. In more elaborate Muslim weddings, you might even see the groom arriving with horses or elephants.
You will most certainly experience the festivity of Muslim weddings when the music starts! The beating of the drums, claps, and music accompanies the dance that would definitely happen with all that festive mood going on.
The Nikah Ceremony
Whether it’s in the Middle East, Asian or European countries, in Muslim traditions a marriage would definitely include the Nikah ceremony. This ceremony is where a marriage contract would be signed between the bride and groom. You can consider the nikah as the formal proposal from the groom as well. The nikah ceremony in a traditional Muslim marriage replaces the exchange of vows in other wedding cultures.
If the older Islamic weddings traditions are followed, the bride’s father would be the one to accept the groom’s nikah contract on the bride’s behalf. Once the nikah ceremony has been completed, the bride and groom would utter a Qabul thrice, with the phrase translating to “I accept”. As the last step of the nikah ceremony, the couple shares a small piece of fruit between them, symbolizing the sweetness of their life to come.
In the Middle East, the nikah ceremony is known as Katb El-Kitab, although the contents of this ritual are still similar to that of a nikah.
The Al-Quran Reading
No Muslim wedding traditions and customs are complete without reading from the Al-Quran itself. If you are attending an Islamic wedding, you can expect to hear sermons at this stage of the ceremony. During this sermon, the newlyweds are reminded of their responsibilities and obligations in a marriage, based on the Al-Quran verses.
Since the nikah ceremony already suffices as the exchange of vows, it is very uncommon for another vow to be included in this part of the ceremony. However, the newlyweds’ parents would read the Surah Al-Fatiha as a way to bless the newlywed’s marriage.
Upon placing their signature on the marriage contract, the couple is now civilly and religiously married to each other.
The Wedding Attire
Although the bride wears yellow prior to the wedding, you can expect to see her donning red and gold for the nikah ceremony. These color choices are commonly found in other wedding cultures as well since red and gold symbolizes luck, prosperity, and even fertility in some cultures.
Wedding veils like what you would normally see in Western cultures are not included in Muslim wedding customs and traditions. Instead of a white, translucent veil, Muslim brides will wear a dupatta. This refers to a scarf that the bride would wear on her head.
As for the groom, he has the option to wear a smart suit or a traditional garb as well. You might see the groom in a sherwani, a turban, a songkok or other types of Islamic wedding traditions attires.
The Feast that Follows
Let’s just say that even the Islam marriage traditions are not exempted from the wedding feast. During the 3rd and last day of the Muslim wedding, a feast would be held to celebrate the wedding consummation. The newlyweds’ relatives, neighbors, and friends will attend the wedding reception, showering them with good wishes and advice.
The feast, known as the Walima, differs a little depending on the country in which these Islamic weddings are held. In Arab and Afghanistan, for example, the groom’s family would be responsible to organize and launch the Walima. Meanwhile, in Pakistan, the bride would be required to handle this responsibility and even pay for it!
While this is roughly the celebration involved in a Muslim wedding, the culture and proceedings may differ depending on the culture practiced in the country. You’ll be in luck if you have the opportunity to experience the Muslim wedding ceremony traditions from different countries all over the world.