Question:

Today marriages involve a lot of asian rituals such as MENDI, MANIAH, etc, Is this allowed in Islam? If this is done does this make the nikah between the married couple not void? and should tawbah be done or kassarah or anything else?

Answer:

One of the reasons we witness so many marriages breaking up today is that people have be duped into abandoning the teachings and guidance given by our noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The truth is that from searching for a spouse to the day of the Nikah to how the couple live together and treat each other, all have to accord with the light of guidance of our Deen. Thus a person should find out these teachings from scholars and books and try to make one’s affairs to accord with them.
In regards to customs the same is true. We should be careful not to allow unislamic (usually hindu) customs to remove the barakah from our marriages and instead invite the wrath of Allah taala. The following basic rule should help you appreciate what is allowed in terms of customs and what is not:“Those customs that are permitted acts in themselves, such as the giving of monetary gifts (Salaamti, Mehndi, Waree), are allowable so long as people do not believe them a necessary or religiously praised part of marriage in which case one must leave them. Secondly, those customs that are impermissible in themselves, such as music and intermingling of men and women, are obviously also forbidden on this occasion.” Ilm al-Fiqh, p.703-704, Imam Abd al-Shakoor Al-Lakhnawi.

Mufti Mohammed Sajjad

Wallahu Aalam bis-sawab

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The answer to this question is the opinion of the scholar and does not reflect the opinion of other scholars of As-Suffa Institute and As-Suffa Institute as an organisation.