Untangling The Traditions Of Muslim Indian Weddings

PRE-WEDDING RITUALS

1.  ISHTIKARA-

Indian Muslims frequently enter into arranged marriages, and the partners are typically found within the same communities and religious groups.  The religious leader, or the Imam of the closest mosque, is informed once a match has been decided upon by the families who find the two to be compatible, and he leads a special prayer in which he requests Allah to approve of the proposed match and to bless the future couple. This serves as the official marriage announcement. The couple then worships Allah.

2.      IMAM ZAMIN-

Just after Ishtikara, the mother of the groom makes an auspicious visit to the bride's house with presents and sweets. Additionally, she carries a gold or silver coin that is enclosed in a silk scarf that she binds around the wrists of her future daughter-in-law. This ceremony denotes the official acceptance into her new family.  

3.     MANGNI-

Mangni embarks on the official engagement between the couple and their families. In this ceremony, the couple exchange their rings.

4.     MANJHA-

The bride is dressed out in yellow finery a day or two before the real Nikah ceremony. The face, hands, and feet of the bride are covered in a paste formed of turmeric, sandalwood, and rosewater. The female members of the family come together on this special occasion to take part in a funny and mischievous activity. They alternate applying the paste to each other and the bride. The bride continues to take a bath after applying the turmeric paste. The bride is not permitted to leave the house anymore until the day of her wedding after her Manjha. The same thing happens at the house of the groom.

5.     MEHENDI-

Muslim brides from the Middle East and Indo-Pakistan perform the intricate Mehendi ceremony, which uses henna paste. The night before the wedding, the family's female members assemble around the bride in another event that is dominated by women. The hands and feet of the bride are decorated with intricate, one-of-a-kind henna paste designs by the family member considered to be the most artistic.

6.  SANCHAQ-

Members of the family of the bride visit the bride's home during this pre-wedding custom, carrying presents from the future in-laws of the bride. The bridal attire to be worn at the time of the Nikah is also sent together with these gifts of sweets, fruits, etc. Jewelry and other Items to match the outfit are also delivered. Some families will even send the bride toiletries, cosmetics, and fragrances.

THE WEDDING ATTIRE

When we talk about the wedding attire, the Holy Quran quite precisely prescribes what a Muslim bride must wear for her wedding. At all times, she must be properly covered up so that only her face and hands are visible to the public. As a result, when it comes to wedding clothing, Salwar Kameez is the first choice for Muslim brides. Sarees and shararas are other popular options in addition to salwar kameez. It is mandatory for the bride to keep her head covered. The green color is considered an important color, hence the preference for green wedding attire is greater. She adorns herself with a variety of gold and precious stone jewellery. One of the most popular decorations is a necklace, a pair of earrings, or a bracelet. On the right side of her face, the Muslim bride must wear a nose ring, which must be changed to a nose pin once she gets married. For Muslim women who are married, wearing a nose pin on the right side of the nose is required. A Jhoomar or Paasa is a prominent piece of jewellery often associated with Muslim weddings.

Muslim grooms typically wear kurta pyjamas or kurtas with churidaar. There is generally no colour restriction except for black, which is considered the colour of mourning among Muslims. Typically, embroidered work of some kind is desired on the kurtas to give them a wedding-like air. Today, Muslim grooms are increasingly inclined to combine churidaar pyjamas with a sherwani or any type of Indo-Western attire. The Sherwanis are typically well-cut and highly embroidered.

WEDDING TRADITIONS

BARAAT-

With much fanfare, the groom leaves his home with a large group of his close friends and family by his side. Typically, the bride side of the family sends a gorgeously decorated car to transport the husband. A relative of the bride visits the groom's home and sort of accompanies him to the wedding location. The entire wedding party travelling to the wedding location is called the baraat. The groom's family follows this automobile. 

WELCOME-

The family members of the bride welcome the groom as soon as he enters the wedding location. His brother-in-law offers him a lovely sherbet drink and makes him feel comfortable as soon as he enters the location. As the groom's family enters the wedding location, they are also given a warm greeting and sprinkled with rose or ittar-scented water.

 NIKAH-

A Maulvi or religious priest officiates the wedding or nikah ceremony. For the ritual, the men and women are seated in different groupings. Usually, the bride is surrounded by the women, and the groom is surrounded by the men. The Maulvi appoints the father of the bride as Wali, or guardian, to handle the interest of the bride in the Nikah. To get the approval of the bride to marry the groom, the family usually gives her Mehr, which is a pre-set sum of money. The Maulvi offers a prayer from the Quran to begin the Nikah ritual. After receiving the Mehr, he next asks the bride if she is ready to wed the groom. He asks the bride at this point. Here, he addresses the bride with the question,- Qubool Hain?  Three times in a row,   the bride must respond three times with Qubool Hain in an authoritative and positive tone. The Maulvi then repeats the procedure with the groom. Ijab-e-Qubool is the name of this ceremony. So that they cannot see one another, the bride and groom must remain apart from one another. The signing of the Nikahnama, or marriage contract, comes after the Ijab-e-Qubool. The Nikahnama lists every obligation and ritual that the Quran specifies for the bride and the husband. Both parties must sign with at least two witnesses, one from each side. Both the bride and the groom must sign in front of at least two witnesses from each side. A religious speech known as Khutba is then read aloud. The Maulvi continues by reciting verses from the Holy Quran that are comparable to wedding vows. The bride and groom don't have to say these vows again, but they should. The reading of the vows is followed by duruds, in which the elders bestow their blessings on the newlyweds. 

ARSI MUSHRAF-

After the marriage has been solemnised, the couple has the opportunity to see each other for the first time during this ritual. Between the bride and the husband, a mirror is preserved, and the Holy Quran is placed on top of the mirror. The pair are instructed to glance in the mirror so they may see the reflection of their husband.

POST-WEDDING RITUALS

1.      WALIMA-

The public declaration of the marriage takes place during the Walima ritual. Typically, it involves throwing a lavish party as a reception. The bride and groom typically sit on a throne at the reception, where they greet everyone from both families. The occasion includes a lavish feast of customary Muslim foods like meat korma and biryani. 

2.     RUKHSAT-

The bride leaves her family with heavy tears shortly after the wedding and travels to her husband's home. She receives a gracious welcome from her mother-in-law when she arrives at her husband's home. The Holy Quran is put on her head as a sign of welcome and a reminder of her responsibilities.

CHAUTHI-

On the fourth day after the wedding, the bride and her new husband make a visit to her parents' house. Her parents lavishly feed the newlyweds a meal and shower them with gifts. The events of a conventional Muslim wedding come to an end with the Chauthi