Arabic weddings (, , or ) are ceremonies of
matrimony
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...
which contain Arab influences or
Arabic culture.
Traditional Arabic weddings are intended to be very similar to modern-day
Bedouin and rural weddings. What is sometimes called a "Bedouin" wedding is a traditional Arab Islamic wedding without any foreign influence. Ceremonies may in some cases be unique from one region to another, even within the same country.
The marriage process usually starts with meetings between the couple's families, and ends with the consummation of the betrothed (''leilat al-dokhla''). For a wedding to be considered Islamic, the bride and groom must both consent, and the groom must be welcomed into the bride's house; although only in the presence of her parents, to maintain propriety on both sides.
The most common events of the Muslim marriage are variations of the following: marriage proposal, engagement, henna, ''nikah'', registration, reception, ''walima'', and honeymoon. The only Islamic requirement is to hold the ''nikah'' and ''walima''. Other events are cultural additions. Civil registration is usually a legal requirement.
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Arranged marriages
The timeless tradition of
marriages being arranged by the families of bride and groom prevails in the
Arab world
The Arab world ( ar, اَلْعَالَمُ الْعَرَبِيُّ '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, refers to a vast group of countries, mainly located in Western A ...
, as it does in the
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent is a list of the physiographic regions of the world, physiographical region in United Nations geoscheme for Asia#Southern Asia, Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian O ...
and in most of
East Asia
East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both Geography, geographical and culture, ethno-cultural terms. The modern State (polity), states of East Asia include China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. ...
. The traditions of these societies forbid premarital sex and also socializing between men and women before marriage. In these societies, when a young woman is considered old enough to be married, her family will look around to identify several potential families of similar social background where she would find happiness in marriage, and where she would become an integral part of her new family without much adjustment problem. Likewise, when a young man is considered old enough to be married, her family will look around to identify several potential brides from good families with good values.
While this is the case in most other societies named above, there is a further factor which adds to the comfort and assurance of the couple in the
Arab nations
The Arab world ( ar, اَلْعَالَمُ الْعَرَبِيُّ '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, refers to a vast group of countries, mainly located in Western As ...
of
West Asia
Western Asia, West Asia, or Southwest Asia, is the westernmost subregion of the larger geographical region of Asia, as defined by some academics, UN bodies and other institutions. It is almost entirely a part of the Middle East, and includes Ana ...
and
North Africa
North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...
: the tradition of
consanguineous marriage
Consanguine marriage is marriage between individuals who are closely related. Though it may involve incest, it implies more than the sexual nature of incest. In a clinical sense, marriage between two family members who are second cousins or closer ...
. Indeed, in these countries, at least one-sixth of all marriages are consanguineous. In
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
, majority (65%+) of all marriages are endogamous and consanguineous arranged marriages. More than 40% of all marriages are endogamous and consanguineous in
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...
,
Jordan
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
,
Syria,
Yemen
Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...
,
Kuwait
Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...
,
UAE
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
,
Oman
Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of ...
,
Sudan,
Libya
Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Suda ...
and
Mauritania; and over 1 in 5 marriages in
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
and
Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption =
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, capital = Algiers
, coordinates =
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, relig ...
. Among these Arab people, arranged marriages include endogamous and non-consanguineous marriages, and therefore exceed the above observed rates of endogamous and consanguineous marriages.
Arab Christians, such as
Coptic Christians
Copts ( cop, ⲛⲓⲣⲉⲙⲛ̀ⲭⲏⲙⲓ ; ar, الْقِبْط ) are a Christian ethnoreligious group indigenous to North Africa who have primarily inhabited the area of modern Egypt and Sudan since antiquity. Most ethnic Copts are Co ...
in Egypt,
[Somervill, Barbara (2007). Teens in Egypt. Capstone; ; page 41-43, 57] have similar patterns of marriage. Marriage was a central feature of traditional Aboriginal societies. Freedom of marriage was restricted to ensure children were produced according to the correct family groups and affiliations and avoid marriages with certain close relatives or marriages with any one outside the group.
Nevertheless, opinions vary on whether the
phenomenon
A phenomenon ( : phenomena) is an observable event. The term came into its modern philosophical usage through Immanuel Kant, who contrasted it with the noumenon, which ''cannot'' be directly observed. Kant was heavily influenced by Gottfried ...
should be seen as exclusively based on Islamic practices as a 1992 study among Arabs in Jordan did not show significant differences between
Christian Arabs
Arab Christians ( ar, ﺍَﻟْﻤَﺴِﻴﺤِﻴُّﻮﻥ ﺍﻟْﻌَﺮَﺏ, translit=al-Masīḥīyyūn al-ʿArab) are ethnic Arabs, Arab nationals, or Arabic-speakers who adhere to Christianity. The number of Arab Christians who ...
or
Muslim Arabs when comparing the occurrence of
consanguinity
Consanguinity ("blood relation", from Latin '' consanguinitas'') is the characteristic of having a kinship with another person (being descended from a common ancestor).
Many jurisdictions have laws prohibiting people who are related by blood fr ...
.
Whereas looks are considered as a factor, much more importance is given to traditional virtues like modesty, respectable behavior, calm temperament, homeliness and simplicity. Respectable family and chastity are non-negotiable basics, without which no discussion even starts. Traditionally, the process of investigation takes into consideration the girls' physical beauty, her behavior, her cleanliness, her education and finally her qualities as a housewife. In carrying out this traditional investigation parents also take the behavior of the prospective bride's family into account.
The first meeting usually takes place between the bride, groom, and their respective mothers. They meet, usually in a public place or in the bride's house, and get to know each other. The bride, groom, and their chaperones will typically sit separately, but within sight of each other, in order to get to know each other. Nowadays, the man might suggest to his family who he would like them to consider, and it may be that the man and the woman already know each other. It is also nowadays common in urban families for a bride and the groom to agree to marry before the groom approaches the bride's family for their permission.
Tulba
''Tulba'' or Tolbe () is basically a formal request of hand. The event is more private, limited to the relatives of the bride and groom. This occurs after both families have agreed to the couple's decision to marry. In "Tulpa", the groom, along with his family members, asks the bride, with her family for her part, to her hand in marriage. Families then formally recognize that the couple will be married.
Engagement
Engagements () '' in Saudi as well as in earlier Arabic and Islamic jurisprudence
fiqh
''Fiqh'' (; ar, فقه ) is Islamic jurisprudence. Muhammad-> Companions-> Followers-> Fiqh.
The commands and prohibitions chosen by God were revealed through the agency of the Prophet in both the Quran and the Sunnah (words, deeds, and ...
. However, it is called '' in Egypt and the Levant) in the Arab world are usually much like a simpler wedding party or a dinner for the families, the bride wears any dress she pleases and there is no ''
zaffah'' procession. Usually, the bride and groom dress in matching colors. They exchange rings, putting the rings on each other's right-hand
ring finger
The ring finger, third finger, fourth finger, leech finger, or annulary is the fourth digit of the human hand, located between the middle finger and the little finger.
Sometimes the term ring finger only refers to the fourth digit of a left-han ...
they are very common
Radwa
This event usually occurs one or two days before the wedding day. It is a small gathering of close male relatives on both sides of the bride and groom, usually in the home of the bride's family. In this exchange, the men on the groom's side make sure that the bride's family is satisfied with the party. Male family members on the groom side also make sure to resolve any last minute issues before the wedding. After all, the eldest man on the side of the groom congratulates all the male relatives on both sides.
Henna night (Ghomrah)
![An Arab bride a basic, hand-tied rose bouquet, on her hands henna (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/An_Arab_bride_a_basic%2C_hand-tied_rose_bouquet%2C_on_her_hands_henna_%28cropped%29.jpg)
In Old Palestine, the henna night was a night used to prepare all the necessary wedding decorations and last-minute arrangements. It was also a chance for the families to celebrate together before the wedding. The groom's family would ''sahij'' or dance through the streets of the village until reaching the house of the bride. Once there, the family would mix henna, which would then be used to decorate the bride and groom’s hands (with the groom's being merely the initials of his bride and himself), and then offer the bride her mahr (a Muslim woman's condition for accepting a man into marriage, usually paid in gold as it does not decline in value like other wealth). The families would then dance and sing traditional
Palestinian music.
In modern times, particularly those not living in Palestine, the henna night remains traditional in customs, but is very similar to a
bachelorette party
A bachelorette party ( United States and Canada) or hen night ( UK, Ireland and Australia) is a party held for a woman (the bride or bride-to-be) who will soon be married. While Beth Montemurro concludes that the bachelorette party is modelled ...
; the bride's female friends and relatives join her in celebrating, which includes food, drinks, and a lot of dancing. A women's group plays Arabic music, sometimes Islamic music, while everyone dances. A woman draws henna or
mehndi
Mehndi () is a form of body art and temporary skin decoration from the Indian subcontinent usually drawn on hands or legs. They are decorative designs that are created on a person's body, using a paste, created from the powdered dry leaves o ...
, a temporary form of skin decoration using
henna, on the bride's and guests' skin — usually the
palms and feet, where the henna color will be darkest because the skin contains higher levels of
keratin
Keratin () is one of a family of structural fibrous proteins also known as ''scleroproteins''. Alpha-keratin (α-keratin) is a type of keratin found in vertebrates. It is the key structural material making up scales, hair, nails, feathers, ho ...
there, which binds temporarily to
lawsone
Lawsone (2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone), also known as hennotannic acid, is a red-orange dye present in the leaves of the henna plant (''Lawsonia inermis''), for which it is named, as well as in the flower of water hyacinth ('' Eichhornia crassipe ...
, the colorant of henna.
The men will also have a party, in which the groom's family and friends will dance to traditional Palestinian music. In some village customs, the groom's face is shaven by a close family member or friend in preparation for his wedding. The tradition of giving the bride her gold is also still used. The groom will enter where the bride is, they will both get their henna done, and the groom will then offer the bride her mahr. Thus, the wedding being merely dancing and celebration.
An important element of the henna night in both traditional and non-traditional henna parties, is the dress adorned by the Palestinian women and the groom. The women dress in traditional (usually hand embroidered) gowns, known as Palestinian ithyab. The brides thobe would be extravagant and exquisitely embroidered. The groom will wear the usual traditional Arab men's
thobe
Thawb ( ar, ثَوْب "garment"), also spelled thobe or tobe and known by various other names in different regions, is an ankle-length robe, usually with long sleeves. It is commonly worn in the Arabian Peninsula, the Middle East, North Afr ...
and hata (head covering).
The henna wedding tradition has remained popular with Jewish descendants of predominantly Muslim countries.
Sahrah
In some areas (e. g. Palestine) also the male friends and relatives celebrate an evening party (''sahra'' in Arabic ) in the garden or on the street in front of the groom's house. Music and dance groups perform and the men dance with the groom. Women are not allowed and may view the program via video projection inside the house or the closed off garden. In strict Islamic families this is the only way to allow males from outside the family to attend the wedding.
Wedding reception/party
Weddings usually include a ''
zaffa
In Arab culture,On the Zaffa and the poetic verse used in Muslim weddings in Yemen, see Hanan Maloom, "La Zaffah: Noces et Poesie Orale Feminine à Ṣan‛ā’". In: Ayyelet Oettinger & Danny Bar-Maoz (eds.), ''Mittuv Yosef: Yosef Tobi Jubilee Vo ...
'', a procession that loudly announces the couple's wedding. The ''zaffa'' differs from region to region. In Egypt, for example, the Dumiyati ''zaffa'' is popular in the north. In the Levant, the traditional ''
dabkeh'' is popular. Other versions of the ''zaffa'' can be found in North Africa and the Arabian peninsula as well as the ''
khaliji''; the ''zaffa'' even reached Malaysia with the first Arab traders, called the
Zapin
, image = Zapin.jpg
, image_size =
, caption = Schoolchildren performing Zapin in Batu Pahat, Johor.
, genre =
, signature =
, instruments = Gambus, Gendang, Marawis, Rebana
, invento ...
.
Urban weddings
After the ''zaffa'' / ''zefaf'', the bride and the groom (this is mostly in Egypt) sit on a dais, or ''kosha'' (), which usually consists of two comfortable seats in front of the guests, from which the bride and groom reign as though
king
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
and
queen
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
. As soon as the bride and groom are seated in the ''kosha'', a ''sharbat'' drink is passed to the guests, and all drink to their health.
The bride and groom then switch rings from their right hand to the left index. With this ritual, the festivities begin. The bride and groom have the first dance, after which the other wedding guests join in. Usually a belly dancer or a singer entertains the guests, but more luxurious weddings will have more than one entertainer. Guests will dance and sing with the newlywed couple, and the groom will sometimes be tossed in the air by friends. In modern weddings, after the formal entertainment, a
disc jockey
A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile ...
will extend the festivities.
Next comes the cutting of the cake. As is done elsewhere in the world, the bride and groom cut the cake, which is several layers high. The bride then tosses her bouquet behind her back to other hopeful women. By tradition, whoever catches the bouquet is seen as lucky, because she is foretold to be the next to marry. Next, the couple opens the buffet for the guests, which is usually a wide variety of salads, meats, stews, sweets, fruits, and other
Arab cuisine
Arab cuisine ( ar, المطبخ العربي) is the cuisine of the Arabs, defined as the various regional cuisines spanning the Arab world, from the Maghreb to the Fertile Crescent and the Arabian Peninsula. These cuisines are centuries old an ...
dishes. Food is considered one of the factors that reflect the wealth of the families of the bride and groom.
After the guests have eaten, many of the guests, particularly those who are not close family or friends of the couple will leave after congratulating the couple. In some weddings, there may be more entertainment including a DJ, dancing and sometimes a singer or a band which continue until very late in the night. The bride and groom then usually receive a complimentary stay of a night or two at the hotel where the wedding was held.
In strict Muslim families, men may not dance with women or even watch women in unmodest dresses. So only the female guests and children enter the hall together with the wedding couple. Also photographers and other personnel must be women, and the DJ, if he is male, has to operate behind a closed door. Men wait outside in a separate room or garden. At the end of the party women cover their shoulders and male family members may enter the hall. Family by family visit the couple to offer congratulations and money presents. At the end they may dance together.
Celebratory gunfire is considered as one of many practices during Arab weddings. However, these practices are often criticized since they sometimes led to fatal casualties. For instance, an Iraqi man from
Hawija
Hawija () is the central town of Al-Hawija District in the Kirkuk Province of Iraq, west of Kirkuk, and north of Baghdad. The town has a population of about 100,000 inhabitants.
Hawija District has approximately 150,000 inhabitants, mostly pop ...
, Iraq lost control of his weapon and ended up shooting and killing his own son at his wedding in June 2020.
Rural weddings
![Arabic wedding Dabkeh Zaffeh](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e6/Arabic_wedding_Dabkeh_Zaffeh.jpg)
Modern
urban
Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to:
* Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas
* Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities
Urban may also refer to:
General
* Urban (name), a list of people ...
weddings are influenced by Western traditions—for example, the cutting of the cake and tossing of the bouquet. This is not the case with rural areas or for example most parts of Saudi Arabia where they still do the original traditional Arab Islamic wedding style. In rural areas of countries like Egypt, after the ''zaffa'', the wedding ceremony will usually take place in a big clearing, where a huge Arabic tent called a ''sewan'' () has been set up. The entertainment includes a belly dancer or singer, sometimes both. Drinks are passed to guests, and food is served on huge plates. The customary food is ''fattah'', pieces of lamb meat embedded in rice and bread dipped in stew. The
bride
A bride is a woman who is about to be married or who is newlywed.
When marrying, the bride's future spouse, (if male) is usually referred to as the '' bridegroom'' or just ''groom''. In Western culture, a bride may be attended by a maid, bri ...
and
groom will leave the wedding early, but the guests continue the festivities.
Islamic practices
Reading of the Fatiha
In Egypt and Parts of Palestine and Jordan, the bride's family hosts a reception in their home, where the groom formally asks for the bride's hand in marriage from her father or the eldest man in the family. After the father agrees, the families read the
Fatiha (the first ''
sura'' in the
Quran
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , s ...
) and serve ''
sharbat
Sharbat ( fa, شربت, ; also transliterated as ''shorbot'', ''šerbet'' or ''sherbet'') is a drink prepared from fruit or flower petals. It is a sweet cordial, and usually served chilled. It can be served in concentrated form and eaten with ...
'', a sweet cordial prepared from flowers or fruit (usually in
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
), or
Arabic coffee (usually in the
Levant
The Levant () is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia. In its narrowest sense, which is in use today in archaeology and other cultural contexts, it is ...
).
Marriage contract
The marriage contract, called ''Aqd Nikah'', ''Aqd Qiran'', ''Aqd Zawaj'', ''Katb el-Kitab'', is the focus of the official marriage ceremony. It starts with a ''
sheikh'' or ''
imam'' giving a short speech about how the Prophet honored his wives, how to honor women, and how women should treat their husbands and honor them. Then the ''imam'' tells the groom to heed the speech that was just given, and the father (or eldest male of the bride's family) accepts the proposal. The ceremony resembles the reading of the Fatiha, but is also when the legal documents are filled out and then filed. Two witnesses, usually the eldest men in each family, sign their names to the marriage contract, and the couple is now officially married.
In the
Levant
The Levant () is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia. In its narrowest sense, which is in use today in archaeology and other cultural contexts, it is ...
, this event is usually held in the house of the either the bride or the groom's family, or sometimes in the wedding hall itself, in a mosque, or in court if the couple decide to do so.
Christian practices
The large minority of
Arab Christians, who mainly live in the
Levant
The Levant () is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia. In its narrowest sense, which is in use today in archaeology and other cultural contexts, it is ...
region and in Egypt, belong mainly to
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
and
Orthodox Christian
Orthodoxy (from Greek: ) is adherence to correct or accepted creeds, especially in religion.
Orthodoxy within Christianity refers to acceptance of the doctrines defined by various creeds and ecumenical councils in Antiquity, but different Churche ...
Churches and they use ancient
Christian symbolic traditions in their weddings.
References
External links
Zawaj HalalThe Wedding EngineersMarriage Iraqi Style
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arab Wedding
Arab culture
Society of the Arab world
Weddings by culture