ÚŃČí
 

Home

::

News

::

Shari`ah

::

Health & Science

::

Politics in Depth

::

Reading Islam

::

Family

::

Culture

::

Youth

::

Euro-Muslims

::

IOL Radio

  
 

Counseling:

Ask the Scholar

|

Ask About Islam

|

Hajj & `Umrah

|

Cyber Counselor

|

Parenting Counselor

  

Search »

Advanced Search »
IOL Radio: Listen & Share
Obama & Muslim World
2009: EU Muslim Family Year
Palestine Holocaust
Memorial Museum
 

Wedding Customs Of The Muslim World - Indonesia

Mohammed Abdulaty
Islam Online, Cairo

Wedding customs throughout the Islamic world are fascinating. To present this diversity in wedding habits, we are presenting this series on some Muslim communities and their customs. This week, we are featuring Indonesia. Watch for more features in the weeks to come. It should be said that these are cultural customs of the Islamic world, not Islamic religious practices.

Three Honeymoon Months In Indonesia At The Bride's Expense
In Indonesia, after deciding on the bride he wants to marry, the groom goes to one of the religious Ulama to go with him to ask her family for her hand. Usually, the Sheikh speaks on behalf of the groom, not his father (as the case in some Muslim countries). Shamsouri Fono Jaman, a resident of Java tells us about his wedding experience, as well as habits in his island. He says the procedure goes as follows. The people of Java have great respect for educated men, especially those in the Shariah fields. Jaman explained one experience by saying, "For instance, my bride asked me to recite Surat Al-Anfal as her dowry. I thank Allah SW that I had memorized it and I recited it for her."

"On the night of the wedding, I presented to her the most valuable gift on the island. It was a copy of the holy Qur'an, and a prayer dress," Jaman says. "I also brought a cow and prepared our room, which consisted of a bed, a cabinet and cooking stuff. Two days before the wedding, my mother called upon the community to pay the Nagoot," he continued. The Nagoot is financial and non-financial assistance by the community to the new family. Usually, a woman sits in front of the house and records the gifts presented. Some people offer onions, rice, sugar, salt, etc."

On the wedding day, guests gather in the bride's house to celebrate for four hours, then everyone except the groom leaves. He lives with his bride in her family's house for four days. On the fifth day, the groom, the bride and her family go to the groom's family's house. There, the guests are again invited to finish up the celebration. They celebrate, eat and drink for four hours, then depart again. The bride and groom then stay for another four days, this time in the groom's family's house. At the end of the four days, both families gather to discuss the arrangements for the next three months. During this three-month period, the newlyweds live in the bride's family's house, during which the groom is allowed to do nothing except focus on the happiness of his bride. They should think of nothing that may disrupt their joy. This period is intended to be a real transition between bachelorhood and marital life

Wedding Customs of the Muslim World


Society

News | Shari`ah | Health & Science | Politics in Depth | Reading Islam | Family | Culture | Youth | Euro-Muslims | IOL Radio

About Us | Speech of Sheikh Qaradawi | Contact Us | Advertise | Support IOL | Site Map