I have been asked these questions multiple times now so I decided to write about about the subject in detail. Marriage is a basic human right according to Islam. Allah says in "Quran" (30:21):

And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquility in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought.

Although satisfying sexual needs is one of the purposes of marriage, it is, however, not the sole one. Like any other aspect of life, Islam provides very detailed instructions on marriage as well.

Spirit of Marriage in Islam

1. Husband and wife complete each other on physical and spiritual level. Marriage provides a righteous way for both men and women to satisfy their physical needs and help each other grow in different aspects of life. Just like a person cannot perform efficiently when he is hungry, people are also unable to focus their efforts when they have other needs. Marriage allows for human race to satisfy those desires and be able to contribute more productively to the society.

2. Sustenance of human race. It is the legal way of sustaining human race in Islam. Children open a new chapter in lives of their parents. It is considered to be a virtue in Islamic tradition to put maximum effort in upbringing of your children who complete the concept of family for married couples.

4. Helps them strengthen each other’s faith. By having a partner who shares life with you, it gives couple a chance to support each other in growing their faith and devotion. Many couples pray together and encourage the vitreous acts of their significant other while discouraging bad habits.

6. Basic building block of the society. Arguably, marriage is the most stable and secure way to start a family which is the basic building block of any society.

Before I jump in any further details, I would like to take some time to explain the two most important technical terms first.

Meher: A formal statement specifying the monetary amount the groom will give the bride. It can be a gift of money, land, jewelry or even and education. Meher is considered the bride's security and guarantee of freedom within the marriage.

Nikah: It is the official ceremony in which the groom officially proposes to the bride and agrees to the offer of Meher made by the bride which leads to the signing of marriage contract by both parties.

Requirements of an Islamic Wedding

Allah asks His believers to conduct their marriages in simple manner without any extravagance. Islam sanctions no official clergy so any Muslim who understands Islamic tradition can officiate a wedding. The most fundamental and only requirement of an Islamic wedding is Nikah ceremony.

Procedure of an Islamic Wedding

The groom or his designated representative officially proposes to the bride or her appointed representative. The girl shows acceptance and makes the offer of Meher: "I marry you in lieu of meher........." which the groom accepts either in the same words or by saying "I accept". The offer and acceptance should be made in physical presence of two witnesses besides the couple or their representatives "Wali". It should be also noted that there is no need of Imam or any other religious figure because marriage is a social contract by nature.

The fact that groom accepts to bride's terms of Meher is the reason why Meher signifies bride's security and freedom. It is an assurance that the groom will respect her freedom of will and will not deprive her of her rights as his wife and as an individual.

Walima/Wedding Feast/Wedding Reception

Nikah ceremony is followed by Walima either right after or on the following day of the official ceremony in Islamic tradition. There is no standard wedding meal except the fact that halal meat is served. Pork and alcoholic beverages are prohibited. Speeches and performances by friends and family and exchange of gifts may or may not be seen during Walima.

Etiquette of attending an Islamic Wedding

Venue: Can be at mosques. However, many couples also decide to hold the wedding and reception at banquet halls for space.

Dress: Guests wear traditional clothing. If you can't get your hands on an outfit, wear something modest and long sleeved, if possible, especially at the mosque.

Nikah Ceremony: Guests are expected to be silent and pay full attention to whoever is officiating the ceremony.

Gifts: Do not bring a bottle of wine, champagne or any other alcoholic beverages. It is acceptable to present the couple with a simple gift. Extravagant gifts are not recommended.

Food: There are always vegetarian and halal meat options at Islamic weddings. Pork is never served as it is forbidden to eat by Islamic law.

Colors: Muslim weddings can be quite colorful with tones of reds, blues, greens and whites, depending on the bride's choice and cultural background.

Four Weddings: A popular Question

While "Quran" is the only religious scripture that asks its adherents to marry only one woman, up to four weddings are allowed in Islam. Allah says in "Quran" in Chapter 4:

… marry those that please you of [other] women, two or three or four. But if you fear that you will not be just, then [marry only] one… That is more suitable that you may not incline [to injustice]… And you will never be able to be equal [in feeling] between wives, even if you should strive [to do so]. So do not incline completely [toward one wife] and leave another [wife] hanging.

It is very important to understand the context of permission to have four wives because revelations were very contextual to problems faced by Muslims at the time of Prophet (PBUH).

These verses were revealed after the Battle of Uhud in which many Muslims lost their lives which created an unbalanced male to female ratio in Islamic society leaving many widows and orphans behind who had no one to take care of and provide for. In order to restore this balance and avoid problems like extramarital affairs due to lack of emotional and material support for many, Allah gave this permission to Muslim men. Muslim men were not like "yayyyyyy" (excuse my wording) upon this permission. It was a matter of concern for them as they took it as a duty and now had to provide for more than just their family on physical and emotional level. It was a hard task for not just males but their wives and children as well for similar reasons.

Once the system reached an equilibrium again, the last verses (quoted above) were revealed which relieved Muslim men from their extended responsibility. Allah said that he knows that we humans can never be just in this matter so we should not marry more than one. Allah never formally took away the permission from men so it still exists as an option to be utilized under special circumstances. Islamic scholars (Ulema) argue that in modern times, one needs a valid reason and permission from first wife for second marriage.

If you have any further questions or want to voice your opinion on the article, please feel free to put it in the comments below.