Muslim Wedding Ceremony

What is the order of a wedding ceremony in Islam?

A Muslim wedding ceremony is simple. Preferably, it should be done without needless displays of luxury or wealth.

The ceremony must have 5 elements

• Oral offer of marriage (al-ijab)
• Oral acceptance of the offer  or through her representative (al-qubool)
• Establishment of a dower for the wife
• Presence of a legal representative (except for the Hanafi school)
• Presence of 2 witnesses who are trustworthy

There must also not be any legal hindrance to the marriage. You must make sure that the marriage is allowed under Muslim law (for example, no family relationship that would prevent the couple from getting married).

The offer (al-ijab) and acceptance (al-qabul) are stated by both spouses, by the wife through her representative (wali), or by both spouses according to the chosen legal school.

The spoken offer of marriage and the acceptance must come one right after the other during the “contract meeting.” (majlis al aqd)

The offer and acceptance must be heard and understood by both of the parties and by the witnesses and must be in exact agreement with one another.

If the exchange of consent is done correctly, two witnesses are present, and a dower is established or provided for, then the marriage is perfectly complete and the spouses are united by the bond of Muslim marriage.

But, although the procedure is indeed simple, the promise itself is very strong and serious. There is no more important commitment between humans than that of the commitment to be married.

Some practices are recommended but not required for the marriage contract to be valid.

1 – Wedding banquet (walima)

For the occasion, the husband can offer a meal called a “walima” in Arabic. It is not required, but the wedding meal is a Sunnah. (Bukhari Hadith 6386)

The Prophet صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم offered this type of meal after the ceremonies with Safiyya (Bukhari Hadith 5159) and Zaynab, for example. 

It should be offered according to each person’s means (Quran 2:286) and it should preferably be done without excessive expense.

The wedding meal can take place immediately after the Nikah, in other words, the following day, the following week, or at a later date, but the purpose of the banquet is for family and friends to share in the husband’s happiness on the occasion of his marriage and to give thanks to Allah عزّ وجلّ .

2 – Congratulations, common invocations, prayers and gifts

In accordance with the Sunnah, friends and family offer prayers of blessing and congratulations to the newlyweds right after the wedding, when they meet them or when they find out that they got married.

Gifts can be offered at that time

• The Prophet صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم  worded a marriage blessing as follows:

  “May Allah bless you and pour blessings upon you, and bring goodness between you.”
  (Tirmidhi Hadith 1091)

  ‘’Barak Allahu laka wa baraka alaik, wa jama’a bainakuma fi khair ’’

• The Prophet صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم commonly said, when offering his congratulations to a married couple:

  “May Allah bless you and bestow blessings upon you, and bring you together in harmony”
  (Sunan Ibn Majh Hadith 1905)

  ‘’ Barak Allahu lakum, wa barak ‘alaikum, wa jama’a bainakuma fi khair ’’

• When the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم congratulated a man on his marriage, he said:
  

  “May Allah bless for you, and may He bless on you, and combine both of you in good works”
  (Sunan Abou Dawud Hadith 2130)

However, you are not required to use these words. You may choose another way to congratulate the couple.