by Tracy Ives
In the Muslim wedding tradition, the Muslim brides are given
much importance as the Muslim grooms. It is the bride's family
that takes the first step towards the groom's side to fix
the marriage. There will be a lot of ceremonies in the bride's
home. First the bride's family sends a lot of fruits as well
as sweets to the groom's house once the marriage is fixed.
Next they start the preparations of the wedding. As the wedding
is a very important event in the life of Muslims, a lot of
care is taken to make the bride look good.
A lot of money is spent in designing the Muslim
brides dress for the wedding. They will mostly wear bright
red colored clothes in the Muslim customs, and they will also
wear a lot of gold jewellery. The dresses will also be full
of gold and silver threads to make the brides look very rich
on the day of the wedding. Once the marriage is fixed, and
the date is fixed the brides must not go out of the homes.
They must be kept company by the ladies in the household as
well as her friends. During this time they will beautify her
for the wedding day.
They use a lot of turmeric paste a few days
before the wedding day on the skin of the Muslim brides' to
make them fair. The bride's family will also arrange an engagement
ceremony for the Muslim groom and bride to exchange rings.
The bride in the Muslim wedding tradition must not look at
the groom till the wedding is over. After that she has to
immediately go to the groom's new house, where everything
will be ready for her to start her new life. Till then she
will be guarded by her parents or her guardians.
The Muslim brides are entitled to receive
dowry on the day of the nikah or the social contract. They
may ask for anything from the bridegroom, and she will also
get it. She may receive property, gold or any other items
as dowry. This she is allowed to keep and it will become her
own even after the marriage. If she wishes to she can maintain
her maiden name, it is not compulsory for her to take the
name of her husband after the marriage. The brides of the
Muslim community are requested to dress very modestly.
They have to dress modestly when they are
meeting the groom before the marriage, and in the presence
of her parents. She must also dress modestly on the day of
her wedding. There has been a lot of criticism about the Muslim
brides wearing very Westernized clothes for the wedding. She
must be dressed in a way that none of her body parts are shown.
She must also dress in a way that she will not attract the
attention of the other men in the room. She must also not
indulge in Western practices during the wedding like kissing
visitors.
About the Author
Muslim brides have
to be very modest in the dressing according to the Quran,
and she must not be Westernized.
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