How is marriage seen in Islam?
In Islam marriage is seen as a fundamental building block in life. Marriage is a contract between a man and woman to live together as husband and wife. The marriage contract is known as a nikah.. For many Muslims the purpose of marriage is to stay faithful with your partner for the rest of your live with the goal of having children to bring to the Muslim faith. The act of marriage was done by the Prophet Muhammed (SAW) and is mentioned in the Quran multiple times.
"And among His signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may dwell in peace and tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts)."
Culture vs. Religion
Muslims do not agree with pre-marital sex, so it is not usual for the couple to live together until the marriage is finalized.
To clarify many marriage customs such as how the wedding is preformed is completely cultural and are not tied or correlated with rules of the Quran
4 Wives
The Quran states that Muslim men are allowed multiple wives, with the following strict rules:
- They must be treated equally.
- The wives must be aware of one another.
- The wives or wife must be in agreement before bringing in a new wife.
Note: Women have the power to block their husbands from having multiple wives in the marriage contract (nikah).
Divorce
With it is not encouraged in Islam, divorce is permitted as a last restore if the marriage has broken down. Muslim are also permitted to re-marry follow a certain criteria. For the process of divorce in Islam the husband must express his desire for a divorce on three separate occasions with a three month waiting period in between.
The woman is also permitted to initiate a divorce. If the woman initiates the divorce it is known as khula. There must be a waiting period to ensure the woman is not pregnant.