I like to find about the Muslim Wedding traditions. I might get married to a Muslim and he has told me we must have a wedding according to Muslim tradition and I want to find out what is this tradition before I commit myself.

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

Marriage in Islam is an act of great importance. It is the only way to protect the progeny of Mankind whom Allah has appointed as a vicegerent on earth applying His Orders as clarified by His Messengers, may Allaah exalt their mention.

As for the conditions of marriage in Islam, they are as follows:

1. A mutual agreement between the man and the woman accepting each other as husband and wife.
2. The marriage contract should be done only after the consent of the woman’s guardian or a representative appointed by him.
3. There should be at least two witnesses when conducting the marriage contract.
4. Both the guardian or his representative and the husband should express their acceptance of the marriage.
5. The dowry (which is the money given to the woman by the man as a pre-condition for marriage) should be specified. The man should not accept to carry out the marriage ceremony in a Church or before a Priest as this is forbidden for Muslims because it embodies a resemblance with the non-Muslims and a consecration of their rituals and places of worship. The Prophet said: “Whoever imitates a people, he is one of them”. [Ahmad] The wedding ceremony (the marriage contract) should be held in an Islamic center or the like. At the first night of marriage), the husband should first pray two Rak’ahs with the wife if she is a Muslim, then put his hand on her head and say: “O! Allah I beg you to grant me her good and the good she was naturally disposed for and to prevent me from her bad and the bad she was naturally disposed for”. If the husband wants to have sex with his wife, he should say: “By the name of Allah, O My Lord! Please protect us from the devil and protect our offspring from the devil”. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] Besides, it is forbidden to have sex with her in her anus or in her vagina while she is in her menstruation period. As the Prophet said: “Cursed is any man who has sex with his wife in her anus”. [Abu-Dawood and An-Nassaa’i]. Allah Says (what means): {And they ask you about menstruation. Say, “It is harm, so keep away from wives during menstruation. And do not approach them until they are pure.} [Quran 2:222] Moreover, both the husband and the wife should be kind towards each other in order to strengthen their marital relationship. Allah Says (what means): {And they (woman) have rights (over their husbands) similar to (those of their husbands) over them}. [Quran 2:228] Hakeem Ibn Mu’aawiyah narrated from his father that he said: “O Prophet of Allah! What rights do our wives have upon us? He said: you feed her when you feed yourself, you dress her when you dress yourself and you never slap the face, never rebuke and never desert her except at home”. [Ahmad and Abu-Dawood].

Allah knows best.