What is with us girls thinking of marriage and weddings every other 5 seconds (okay maybe not 5 seconds but you get what I'm saying), fretting that the day will never come? I thought I was the only one before I discovered a good number of sisters are just as anxious, waiting for their very own big day as well. Most of us are not excited about the whole wedding process but we agree upon the fact that we can't wait to get started on a whole new chapter of our lives that we will inshaAllah share with the man that we love and treasure.
You see, I just attended my cousin's wedding yesterday. After a tedious 6 months of planning and preparing, we are all finally relieved and overjoyed upon the completion of the ceremony. The whole family has never felt so happy before. To some, the best part was when the Bhangra crew led the groom to his bride. To others, it was possibly the food. But my favourite part was specifically the Solemnization Ceremony.
Unlike the many Solemnization ceremonies I've attended where the groom sits in a room packed with a whole bunch of people like he's in a press conference, this one was a simple and quiet one. Amidst the whole anxiety and excitement all of us got stuck in our guts, a simple and calm solemnization ceremony was all it need to make the wedding the most beautiful one I have ever attended.
Before the ceremony took place, the Kadi gave a short speech to remind the groom and everyone present about the beauty of marriage. To remind all of us that it's a beautiful responsibility that has been granted by Allah swt by every man and woman of Islam. Unlike many Abrahamic religions, Islam promotes marriage and forbids celibacy for it is believed to be a fundamental unit to the Muslim Society.
Out of the many Hadeeths he spoke of, this was one that caught my attention.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Marriage is of my tradition and whosoever keeps it away is not from amongst me."
SubhanaAllah!
This wedding that I attended was not just an experience that brought me together with my family but also opened my eyes to the importance of marriage.
I have many friends that are against the idea of marriage with the excuse that it ties them down and that there is no element of liberation to marriage.
But I couldn't disagree more.
How more liberated does one wish to be when through marriage he is granted the every right to be with the woman he loves and to fulfill his rightful responsibilities to her as a husband?
Likewise for the women.
But like I always say, "To you be your way, to me be mine!"
A'qilah Saiere
