Marriage in Islam - Background

Background

Islamic marriages require acceptance, in Arabic: قبول‎, qibuul, of the bride and groom of each other. The tribal and cultural practices of some Muslims of marrying their spouse sight unseen is not an Islamic practice.

If the conditions are met and a mahr and contract are agreed upon, an Islamic marriage ceremony or wedding, where there is a signing of the marital contract, can take place. Once signed, the Islamic marriage is declared publicly, in Arabic: إعلان‎, aa'laan, by a responsible person after delivering a sermon to counsel and guide the couple. It is not required, though customary, that the person marrying the couple should be religiously qualified. It is typically followed by a celebratory reception in line with the couple's or local customs, which could either last a couple of hours or proceed the wedding 7 days and conclude several days after the ceremony.

The Qur'an tells believers that even if they are poor they should marry to protect themselves from immorality . The Quran asserts that marriage is the only legitimate way to satisfy one's sexual desire. Islam recognizes the value of sex and companionship and advocates marriage as the foundation for families and channeling the fulfillment of a base need. Marriage is highly valued and regarded as being half of one's faith, according to a saying of Muhammad. Whether marriage is obligatory or merely allowed has been explored by several scholars, and agreed that "if a person has the means to marry and has no fear of mistreating their spouse or of committing the unlawful if he/she doesn't marry, then marriage in this case is preferred."