Love+and+Marriage

=LOVE AND MARRIAGE=

//A marriage is a contract between two families, not just a man and a woman.//

In the Muslim faith, is dating allowed? Why/ why not?
The Prophet said in the Quran:

//**"Whenever a man is alone with a woman the Devil makes a third."**//

The dating Islamic traditions are connected with many different rules even in today’s world. Modern Islamic Dating is mostly in the form of Halal dating, where the couple is introduced by either friends or family. Once they like each other, the couple marries under the Islamic law. They do this by signing a marriage contract. This is where the marriage ceremony begins.

What is allowed when a boy and girl are interested in each other?
In the Muslim world, when a boy and girl are interested in each other they are allowed to talk in public, as long as they do it within the Islamic moral code: no obscenity, no touching, no secret appointments, etc. They must be careful about what this social talking leads to. Men and women are not allowed to date each other or live together before they are married. They are not able to "try each other out" before they commit to a relationship. Also, there is to be no physical relationship whatsoever before marriage.

__Because of the "Islamic moral code", Amir was afraid to talk to Soraya at the Afghan market. He was afraid of his sexual attractions towards her, and was nervous that General Sahib would catch them in public.__

What are some customs and traditions when the boy and girl wish to marry?
In the Muslim faith, the Groom's family is the ones responsible to seek out an acceptable bride. Once the bride is decided many ceremonies proceed to make up the wedding. The Mangni is the engagement ceremony where the exchanging of the rings takes place. The Bride's outfit is provided by the Groom's family. The Manjha ceremony is where the Bride is anointed with turmeric paste. This takes place at the Bride's house one or two days prior to the wedding day. The Groom's family provides the paste of turmeric, sandalwood and chameli oil. Only unmarried women apply this to the bride to be. Henna is applied on both her hands and her feet. A symbolic token is then applied to the groom in the form of a spot. After this ceremony, the Bride is not to leave her house until the wedding. Once again the Groom's family provides the bride on the wedding day. On the wedding day, a procession of friends and relatives along with the groom from his place to the wedding venue. This takes places as whether the groom rides on a horse or in a car. Beating of drums and playing of musical instruments takes place as the groom arrives. On this arrival, the groom and the brother of the bride exchange a glass of sharbet (a sweetened drink) and money. The sisters of the bride welcome the guests by playfully hitting them with a stick wrapped around flowers. For some Muslim ceremonies, the men and women are seated in separate rooms. The meher (a sum of money) is decided by both families. Before reading a selected piece from the Koran (the holy book of the Muslims), witnessed by two male persons and a lawyer or eminent person, the officiating priest will ask the bride if she is happy with the arrangement and whether she agrees to marry the groom. The boy is asked the same. The marriage is registered (nikaahnama). Dinner is served separately to the women and men. The groom's family also feasts separately. After their first meal, the groom and bride are seated together and a long scarf is used to cover their heads while the priest makes them read prayers. The Holy Koran is kept between them and they are allowed to see each other through reflection by mirrors. The groom spends the night in a separate room at the girl's house with a younger brother. In the morning he is given clothes, money and gifts by the bride's parents. That afternoon his relatives come to accompany the bridal couple to their home. The farewell by the father of the bride is performed by the father giving her hand to her husband and asking him to protect her always. Final farewells are offered and the couple leaves. media type="youtube" key="Mm4jMynPolY&rel=1" height="355" width="425"
 * Wedding Traditions**
 * The Mangni**
 * The Manjha Ceremony**
 * The Groom's Procession**
 * The Arrival of the Groom and Guests**
 * The Wedding Ceremony**
 * The Rukhsat Ceremony**

__In //The Kite Runner,// Amir and Soraya are due to marry, but Baba gets sick and they are not sure if he would live long enough for the wedding ceremony. This causes them to skip most of the pre-wedding celebration and simply hold the ceremony. This ensured them Baba would get the chance to see them happily married.__

**What is the responsibility of each party? Each family?**
The groom’s family has many responsibilities. First, they must find a suitable bride for their sons, and purchase all the wedding outfits for the bride. The groom’s family is also responsible for providing the paste of turmeric and meher (an amount of money).

**Gay Marriage in the Islamic World**
Celebrating diversity is not on the “agenda” for the Islamic World. Often times they are considered homophobic for various reasons. One reason was the sentencing of 105 men from Saudi Arabia for participating in “deviant sexual behavior.” Each man received one year in prison, along with 200 lashes. Such acts are not rare in the Islamic world, gay marriages and acts are not accepted.