Nikah
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Nikah or nikkah (Arabic: النكاح ), is the contract between a bride and bridegroom and part of an Islamic marriage, a strong covenant (mithaqun Ghalithun) as expressed in Qur'an 4:21).
The first part of the marriage ceremony, Nikah, is the signing of the marriage contract itself.
Various traditions may differ in how Nikah is performed because different groups accept different texts as authoritative. Therefore, Sunnis will likely accept Bukhari Hadith while Shia will have their own collections, for example Furu al-Kafi, thus producing different procedures. This contract requires the consent of both parties if they are adults. There is a tradition, outside of the religion, in some Muslim countries to pre-arange a marriage for young children, however, the marriage still requires consent when the wedding actually goes ahead. A nikah allows both parties to add conditions. Islam does allow divorce so this contract is revocable. Marriage is seen as a necessity in Islam and is seen as helpful in avoiding zina, or cruelty. An unofficial marriage that does not inform the public is called the Nikah urfi.
Although the Shari'a stipulates that a man may take up to four wives, this is uncommon in most Islamic societies. In many of the more modernised Islamic states (e.g. Jordan) polygamy is confined mainly to the least developed rural areas where traditional values and ways of life still hold sway.
See also
- Walima (Marriage banquet)
- Islamic view of marriage
- Nikah urfi
The quran does stipulate a limit for the number of wives allowed to a man .
External links
- [Sahih Bukhari, Book 62 - hadith about marriage]
- [Marriage Hadiths and Marriage in Islam]
- [An-Nikah: The Marriage]
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