The Prophet Muhammad ? has described for us ways in which the wedding night can be fulfilling and enjoyable. The Sunnah encourages the groom to place his hands upon his wife’s head and to pray for her. Bumiller, Elisabeth. May You Be the Mother of a Hundred Sons: A Journey Among the Women of India. New Delhi: Penguin Books India, 1990. Carroll, Lucy. The Muslim holy book is called the Qur'an. Muslims believe this to be the word of Allah as dictated to Muhammad.

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Another major source of learning about the Prophet is through poetry and music in praise of Muhammad that is found in many different languages and most prominently in Arabic and Persian. These poems and songs draw from the Qur’an, seerah, shama’il and hadith but also take on a life of their own as art. This art form is often a celebration of the Prophet and a lament on how deeply the Prophet’s physical presence is missed. The pieces begin and end with sending prayers of peace and blessings on the Prophet ( salawat) and his family. The prayer is recited with a melodious chant that takes on its own art form altogether. God, or Allah in Arabic, and the relationship between human beings and the divine is clearly the primary focus of the Qur’an’s content. Surah al-Fatihah, the Opening Chapter of the Qur’an, sets the expectation of what is to follow. The Opening, which is only 7 verses short, is divided into three parts: The first is about who God is – the absolutely One and indivisible with many attributes; the second is about the utter dependency of God’s creation on God – the only one worthy of true worship and devotion – and the idea of a Day of Judgement where humanity stands before God. The third is a prayer seeking God’s guidance and putting forth the idea that there are two paths to choose from: the path of the guided and the path of the misguided. But, it was, perhaps, his way with rude and hostile people that really exemplified the Prophet’s mercy. Early on in Muhammad’s advent as a Prophet, a woman would throw her garbage on him every time he would pass by her place. One day the woman did not come out, so the Prophet became concerned and inquired about her. Learning that she had become ill, he went to visit her and offered comforting words. Once a Bedouin entered the sacred precincts of the Prophet’s mosque when he was with some of his companions and began urinating and defiling the space. The companions immediately rose to physically confront the Bedouin, but the Prophet stood in their way and calmed them down. He asked his companions to wash the mess that was made and took the Bedouin aside to talk to him. He spoke of the sacredness of a worship space and spoke well to the Bedouin until the man exclaimed, “May God have mercy on you and I, and no one else!” The Prophet laughed upon hearing this, and replied, “You have limited something that is immeasurably vast,” teaching him that God’s mercy envelops all beings. In the West, the Prophet Muhammad is often portrayed only as a warrior who led and fought in battles. The Prophet was indeed a warrior who defended his community with the courage of a lion. But, it is also true that the Prophet practiced the highest ethics in war by avoiding the killing of innocents, prohibiting torture and mutilation, the poisoning of wells, cutting down fruit-bearing trees, and so on. Even on the battlefield, the Prophet practiced restraint and patience at every turn. Signature or thumb impression of the bridegroom/Vakil/ Guardian according as the Nikah was performed in person by the bridegroom or through his Vakil or Guardian I testify that there is no god except the One God and I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God.”

However, after the prophets delivered the divine guidance to their people, their message was lost, abandoned, or changed over time, with only parts of the original message intact. God then sent another prophet to rectify their beliefs. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1979. Engineer, Asghar Ali. (ed.)The Shah Bano Controversy. Hyderabad, India: Orient Longman, 1987.

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The devotional acts can best be summarized with the five foundational pillars, through which Muslims are able to manifest their faith both inwardly and outwardly. The Prophet Muhammad taught Muslims in an authentic tradition ( hadith), “Islam is built upon five [pillars]: to bear witness that there is no god except the One God and to bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of God; to establish prayer; to pay the almsgiving; to fast in the month of Ramadan; and to go on the great pilgrimage to the House [of God].” Shahadah – Testimony of Faith A single pronouncement of divorce is made during the period of tuhr (the period of purity between two menstrual cycles), followed by abstinence from sexual intercourse during the period of iddat. Here, the divorce can be revoked at any time before the completion of iddat, thus preventing hasty and unreasonable divorces. ii) Talaaq-i-hasan As the messenger of God, Muhammad is not seen only as a mouthpiece for the Qur’anic revelation, as awesome of a task as that in and of itself is, but is also seen as the highest spiritual and ethical model to aspire to – “the walking Qur’an.” The Qur’an speaks of a heavenly event in which God gathers all the souls that are to ever be brought into being and asks them a simple yet profound question, “Am I not your Lord?” The souls being in their pure and unveiled states gazing upon the essence of God, readily submit, “Yes! We bear witness!” This Muslims see as the primordial covenant that binds all living souls in submission to God. There is a strict condition for a Muslim woman. She may only get married to a Muslim man and there is no Nikkah if she marries a non Muslim. If she desires to get married to him, he must convert to Islam free willingly or else her invalid nikah is zinaa!

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Early Meccan verses focus on the Oneness of God, patience as a response to hardship, the importance of doing good works, condemnation of evil practices, such as female infanticide, in society, and an emphasis on the afterlife as the eternal life with vivid descriptions of heaven and hell. Women and Society in India. Delhi: Ajanta Publications, 1987. Everett, Jana M. Woman and Social Change in India. It is a form of Islamic divorce which is instant in nature. It allows any Muslim man to legally divorce his wife by stating the word “ Talaaq ” three times in oral, written, or more recently, electronic form. This is prevalent among the Muslims in India, especially among the adherents Hanafi school of Islam. This is also known as “Triple Talaaq” and has been a subject to debate and controversy. The Prophet ? said: “The best wedding is that upon which the least trouble and expense is bestowed.” [Mishkat] Beyond the constant reminders in the Qur’an as to who the Prophet Muhammad is, there is also the collective memory and imagination of Muslims that has been passed down from generation to generation for fourteen centuries through stories, sayings and songs. These traditions are written down and often artistically calligraphed in Mosques, homes and murals wherever Muslims live. Even more powerfully these traditions continue to be orally transmitted from teacher-to-student and parent-to-children in formal and informal settings.

Islam and what do Muslims believe in? - BBC Bitesize What is Islam and what do Muslims believe in? - BBC Bitesize

Lets see the fundamentals. The Nikah is a simple ceremony in which a man and woman declare their oral commitment to each other as husband and wife. It is a “contract” to which both must consent and it is regarded as an act of worship (ibadah). In the very basic form of the ceremony: Fasting ( Sawm):Muslims fast during the month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Muslim lunar calendar, by refraining from eating, drinking, and sexual interaction from dawn to sunset. It is an act of self-restraint and spiritual cleansing that increases one’s empathy for the less fortunate and enables one to consciously control bad habits such as foul language, idle talk, and anger. Fasting also helps people develop strong willpower as they overcome the essential desires of their body and the damaging acts of their tongue. Muslims believe that since the Qur’an is the word of God, people should approach it with utmost care so to properly understand God’s will and not make assumptions without adequate knowledge. Islamic scholars have dedicated a whole field of study in the Islamic sciences to understanding the Qur’an called tafseer, or commentary (in more formal circles known as “exegesis”) . In this field, the Qur’an is analyzed from every possible angle from its linguistic meanings and grammar to its historical context and application. Thousands of men and women throughout history have contributed to Qur’anic commentaries. Although the values of the text are timeless, sometimes verses refer to a specific situation faced by the early Muslim community rather than serving as a general prescription for all times. For example, many of the oft-misunderstood verses about jihad refer to certain times in the history of the early Muslim community and specific groups of people that oppressed the Muslims. Qur’anic commentaries show that generalizing these verses to justify acts of vigilante violence is a gross misunderstanding of the Qur’anic moral and historical context. Traditionally, mahr would reflect the social status of the bride’s family. However, these days, the giving of mahr is seen mainly as a symbol. No one wants to begin married life burdened with debt and, equally, Islam does not wish to prevent men from getting married simply because they cannot afford an expensive dowry. Walima: the marriage banquet

It is written in the Qur’an that mahr must form part of the marriage contract. The groom gives mahr to his bride as a demonstration of his commitment to her and to providing for her. It can take the form of money, property or possessions. There is no set amount, although moderation is recommended, and the gift is agreed between the bride and the groom. Undoubtedly, the legacy of the Prophet is often passionately debated. Was he an eager warrior who came to make Islam dominant over all other ways of life or was he a reluctant warrior who only fought to defend his people and to resist his enemies? Was he a champion of women’s rights or was he weary of allowing women to be too free? These and many other such questions are debated using the same sources but coming to very different conclusions. This is all to say that the traditions we have about the Prophet do not necessarily speak for themselves, rather they are very much interpreted by Muslims across the centuries. The marriage gives to the wife also the right of maintenance from her husband with immediate effect. India is a country that has partially approved live-in relationships; However, it will still be quite difficult for the Supreme Court to constitutionally invalidate this form of marriage. In modern day era, where feminists all across the globe see this arrangement equivalent to prostitution. There are many advocates of Nikah mut’ah who believe that being a contract, this arrangement is superior to the live- in relationships. Registeration of Marriage under Muslim Law The Five Pillars of Islam are an important part of Muslim life. They are five things that a Muslim must do so they can live a good and responsible life. They include: