Lukman and Puteri's Wedding

The Etiquettes Of Marriage And Wedding

By: Sheikh Muhammad Naasirudden al-Albaani

All praise is due to Allah, the One who said in the clear verses of His Book:

"And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts): Verily in that are Signs for those who reflect".[al-Room 30:21]

It should be known that there is much etiquette in the area of marriage. All that I am concerned with here in this quickly compiled work is that which is authenticated of the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad, that which is irreproachable from the standpoint of its chain of narration and upon which no doubt can be cast in terms of its constructions and meanings. In this way, whoever reads and follows this information will be on a clearly established basis in religion, and will have full confidence in the source and validity of his actions.

Marriage in Islam

With His wisdom and out of His mercy, Allah has made the Children of Adam male and female, and has institutionalized marriage to make the females mates for the males and vice-versa. The Quran says:

وَمِنۡ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦۤ أَنۡ خَلَقَ لَكُم مِّنۡ أَنفُسِكُمۡ أَزۡوَٲجً۬ا لِّتَسۡكُنُوٓاْ إِلَيۡهَا وَجَعَلَ بَيۡنَڪُم مَّوَدَّةً۬ وَرَحۡمَةً‌ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٲلِكَ لَأَيَـٰتٍ۬ لِّقَوۡمٍ۬ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ 

Ar Rum 30: 21. And among His signs is this; that He created for you wives from among yourselves, that you may find repose in them, and He has put between you affection and mercy. Verily, in that are indeed signs for a people who reflect.

And,

وَٱللَّهُ جَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنۡ أَنفُسِكُمۡ أَزۡوَٲجً۬ا وَجَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنۡ أَزۡوَٲجِڪُم بَنِينَ وَحَفَدَةً۬ وَرَزَقَكُم مِّنَ ٱلطَّيِّبَـٰتِ‌ۚ أَفَبِٱلۡبَـٰطِلِ يُؤۡمِنُونَ وَبِنِعۡمَتِ ٱللَّهِ هُمۡ يَكۡفُرُونَ 

An Nahl 16: 72. And Allah has made for you mates of your own kind, and has made for you, from your mates, children and grandchildren, and has granted you good provisions. Do they then believe in false deities and deny favour of Allah.

These verses of the Noble Quran draw at least two purposes of marriage; companionship and procreation. Marriage allows a man and a woman live together in peace and tranquillity enjoying each other’s company. Marriage is a lawful means to fulfil the basic biological instinct to have sexual relation. Sexual relation outside marriage tie is a major sin but when it is done within the institution of marriage, the reward is like giving charity.

Brief Guidelines to Enter Islamic Marriage

This brief advise is intended to help Muslim husband and wife to-be prepare themselves with basic knowledge to enter marriage life. I collected and summarised this from different sources and insya Allah is applicable across all madzhabs.

1. When one goes into his wife on his wedding night, he should show her kindness by presenting her with a bunch of flowers, something to drink, etc.
2. The husband should, at the time of consummating the marriage with his wife or before that, place his hand on the front part of her head, mention the name of Allâh Most High, and pray for Allâh's blessings.
3. It is desirable for the husband and wife to pray 2 rakât together on their wedding night.
4. When a Muslim man is about to enter his wife, he should always say first: Bismillahi, Allâhumma jannibnâ ash-shaitân, wa jannib ash-shaitân mâ razaqtana [In the name of Allâh, O Allâh, keep us away from the devil, and keep the devil away from that which You may grant us (ie. offspring).]
5. It is allowed for a Muslim man to enter his wife in her vagina from any direction he wishes - from behind or from the front.

So, You are ready but don't know where to start?

I offer a combination of Islamic and civil rites to solemnise your marriage. The Islamic ceremony (nikah) will ensure you that the contract you are about to enter is not only witnessed by your family and friends, but also recognised and blessed by Allah and His angels. The civil rites will make your wedding recognised by the Australian Law and ensure your rights are protected. So, how do we do this?

A. Paper work prior to the wedding day

1. Make an appointment by phone or email (detail on my complete profile under ‘About ME’).
2. During our first meeting, I will assist you to complete Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM). Under Marriage Act 1961, a couple intending to get married in Australia must complete NOIM and sign it witnessed by a Marriage Celebrant no less than 1 month and no more than 18 months prior to the marriage being solemnised.
3. In completing NOIM, original Birth Certificate or authorised extract of such certificate must be produced. Alternatively, an Australian or overseas passport in lieu of the birth certificate is acceptable. If one cannot produce a birth certificate or overseas passport the Celebrant will take a Statutory Declaration with details of birth date, place and parents' names together with an explanation as to why the birth certificate is not available.