A marriage contract is the only requirement for a Muslim wedding. Many marriages are not held at mosques. If a ceremony is held in a mosque, men and women, have to sit separately. The average wedding ceremony is short (less than an hour) and consists of three parts. The first part, called “Sadaq” or “Mahr” is the ceremony during which the groom offers his gift to the bride. Many times the engagement ring is part of the “Mahr” ceremony. During “Mahr”, the bride and groom are not able to see each other. “Mahr” is followed by “Nikah”, which is the actual Muslim marriage contract which the groom and bride sign in front of their guests. Before they sign it, it should be read aloud in Arabic. Then, both the groom and the bride need to agree to this marriage by saying “qubool hai” three times each when asked by the Imam or the religious official. Also “Nikah” consists of reading from the Qur’an, and the exchange of the vows in front of witnesses for both partners. “Savaqah” is the last part of a Muslim wedding ceremony when the bride is showered with coins in celebration as the couple exit from the ceremony. Muslim marriage has to be done in public and should never be undertaken in secret. The publicity is usually achieved by having a large celebration, or walimah – a party specifically intended to announce publicly that the couple is married and entitled to each other.
