What is Nikah?
Nikah is the Arabic term for an Islamic marriage contract. It is a divine bond in the form of a contract between two people of opposite genders. The nikah contract can have conditions that the bride and groom have agreed upon.
Nikah in the Holy Quran
وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ خَلَقَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا لِّتَسْكُنُوا إِلَيْهَا وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَكُم مَّوَدَّةً وَرَحْمَةً إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
And among His wonders is this: He creates for you mates out of your own kind. So that you might incline towards them, and He engenders love and tenderness between you: in this, behold, there are messages indeed for people who think! 30:21
Mahr
Mahr is a gift that is given to the bride by the husband. The Holy Quran says, “And give women their Mahr as a free gift, but if they themselves are pleased to give up to you a portion of it, then eat it with enjoyment and with a wholesome result.” (4:4). It is important that the Mahr is agreed upon by the marrying partners. Mahr is the bride’s right to which her husband is indebted – it may be cash or non-material (like training or teaching something).
Permission
The bride’s and groom’s consent is necessary in order for the nikah contract to be valid. A girl who has never been married before must be given permission by her wali (ie. father) to get married. A woman who has been married before does not require any permission in case of remarriage.
Valima (Dinner)
It is highly recommended that after the nikah, the groom invites people for a dinner called valima.
