The most blessed marriage is the one with least expenses

New Delhi, 27 July 2020 [Fik/News Sources]: When Muslims were advised to make marriages simple by avoiding dowry, lavish marriage halls, decoration and huge expenses on food, nobody heeded it. They even ignored the hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (mpbuh) who said ‘The most blessed marriage is the one with least expenses’. It is most unfortunate that Muslims have adopted the traditions and customs of others, making the marriages of girls almost impossible. A girl has become a financial burden on her parents.

There also exists a category of people who argue, what people will say if we celebrate the marriage without pomp and show. If they borrow loans to conduct a marriage, it takes at least 5 years to repay the loan. Still, our community prefers to spend money extravagantly.

Pandemic forced people to perform marriages in simple manner
The spread of virus since the last 4 months, which has proved to be a affliction for some, at the same time happened to be a blessing for the parents of unmarried girls. It has forced us to perform marriages in a simple manner. With guests of only 50 persons, the marriages are being celebrated.

Abdul Mukarram, correspondent of siasat, talked to a couple of Qazis (marriage solemnizers) who are solemnizing marriages during the lockdown.

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Opinion of Qazi

Let us see what Qazi Mohammad Yaseen Khan has to say.

Mr Khan is an assistant Qazi from Asif Nagar area who says that people are celebrating marriages in a simple manner, there are no large gatherings as it used to be before lockdown. He says, people are now following the Sunnah [the way of the Prophet may peace be upon him] and they are not demanding any dowry; simple food is being served, there is usually only one dish–Biryani. People, whether rich or poor, all are preferring simple marriages due to Coronavirus, which has been a blessing from Allah. Says Mr. Khan.

He further says, hundreds of girls of underprivileged parents who were sitting at homes without getting married due to financial constraints as earlier, now they are getting married without any difficulties. People are maintaining punctuality now and there are small gatherings of 30-40 persons at a marriage. Khan further adds that marriages are now being celebrated in morning or in afternoon. There are no marriages in evening, so there is no question of dinner.

Qazi Mohammed Ahsan Ali Ehtesham of Bahadurpura circle is immensely happy as there are more marriages taking place, but in a simple manner in lockdown than in normal days. Although function halls are closed, yet marriages are being performed at home. Like the other Qazi, he also talks about change of timings. Qazi Ehtesham says, marriages are taking place after Fajr (dawn prayer) until Asr prayer (prayer before sunset). He further adds, the amount of mahr (dower) ranges from rupees 5091 to 11,000, according to the groom’s affordability and is being paid in cash immediately at the time of nikah. The most striking thing he mentioned is that the bride is departing her parent’s home to the groom’s home only in one dress, and there is no system of serving food on the day of marriage. In some marriages, they are serving tea and snacks. Most of the marriages are taking place in mosques and bride is leaving with her groom to his home and guests return to their homes.

When asked about the decoration, Qazi Ehtesham says, people of higher status and middle class are decorating their homes in a budget, unlike the decoration in functional halls, where they used to spend lakhs of rupees on decoration. Also, the marriage procession used to reach wedding halls late at night. He says he even solemnized a marriage at 3:00 am. But now, some marriages are taking place immediately after Fajr prayer and some after Dhur.

Blessing from Allah: unmarried girls are getting married

When Mukarram asked him whether people are satisfied with the present system or were they happy with the earlier system when marriages took place in function halls to which Qazi Ehtesham replied that Allah has fixed everybody’s sustenance. The owners of function halls have spent huge amounts on building the structures, most of them have taken loans, now they are facing financial losses. We have to consider their difficulties too, says Qazi Ehtesham. He further adds that it is a boon for some and bane for others. He concludes by saying that it is a blessing from Allah that unmarried girls are getting married very easily on minimal expenses.