INTRODUCTION:

The Islamic and Hindu religions have an array of similarities and differences regarding their customs and laws in relation to the ‘wedding ceremony’.

Within Islam, the wedding ceremony is believed to be both a religious and social obligation to get married. As a result, there is a great weight placed on religious, social and cultural dimensions of the ceremony which tends to be simple in nature, paralleling Islamic beliefs. Hindus also place a lot of importance on marriage ceremonies which signify customs, rituals and elaborate celebrations. However, a key difference lies in the fact that Islamic marriages are seen as contractual agreements, whereas Hindu marriages are perceived to be sacrilegious.

This essay compares and contrasts the various aspects of both Islamic and Hindu wedding ceremonies. For each aspect, the essay examines the Islamic tradition and in turn the corresponding Hindu wedding ritual.

BODY:

Overview

Islamic wedding ceremonies or Nikah can be performed in a variety of ways depending on the culture in which they are arranged. For example, Islamic marriages can slightly vary depending on whether they are part of the Asian or Arab world. Typically, Islamic marriages are arranged by the parents of the bride and groom, with the bride and groom having a final say in who they will ultimately marry. The marriage proposal in effect comes from the woman, who contacts the man through a common liaison who tends to be a male relative.

The stringent rules and nature of the Islamic culture propose that Muslim women cannot marry outside their religion. Muslim men however, can marry Christian or Jewish women because they are “People of the Book”, i.e. those who hold a monotheistic faith. These women, who ultimately must raise their children under the Islamic beliefs, can alternatively convert to the Muslim faith by performing the ‘Shahada’ ceremony in which the convert accepts Allah and Mohammed as his messenger.

Once the groom has...