Weddings

INFO

“This is one of His signs: He has created wives for you from your own selves so you might find comfort in them, and He has placed between you love and mercy. Surely there are signs in this for those who reflect.” (Quran 30:21)

Marriage, although a very significant aspect of human life, is contracted in Islam in an extremely simple and natural way. A very important decision is for the spouses to embark on their married life by starting in the mosque – the House of God. This is a symbolically significant message. By contracting marriage in mosques, all those present seek and pray to Allah to grant blessings and happiness in life to the newlywed couple. Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said: ‘Perform the wedding ceremony and contract marriages in the mosques.

Click here to download Application for the wedding

HOW TO ARRANGE AN ISLAMIC WEDDING

Dear members, respected congregation, and dear friends. In an effort to make things easier for you, we are presenting you with the following steps to follow if you wish to have your wedding ceremony in the mosque, so please take a look:

  1. Contact the imam (info@bicc-chicago.com / becca@izbsa.com) and obtain consent for marriage
  2. Schedule a wedding date in consultation with the imam.
  3. Fill out the wedding application and send it to the email: info@bicc-chicago.com
  4. Make sure to go to the Chicago City Hall and obtain the City Marriage License (which you will hand over to the imam 7 days in advance or at the latest, the day before the wedding).
  5. Marriage counseling with the imam is recommended, and it is usually scheduled 15-30 days before the wedding, during which you will: a) discuss the wife’s last name with the future spouse b) determine the amount of mehar (bridal gift) c) select witnesses for the wedding (3 witnesses) d) become familiar with the wedding protocol e) learn about the rules of conduct during the wedding.
  6. A symbolic donation to the mosque is recommended.
  7. Non-members are required to pay $ 350!

NOTE: Our imam does not perform Islamic weddings if the City Marriage License is not provided to him before the wedding. Therefore, in addition to the Islamic wedding, the imam also performs the civil wedding at the same time. Thank you for your understanding!

CONDITIONS FOR CONTRACTING MARRIAGE

In order for a marriage to be Islamic and valid, it must be contracted in the name and for the sake of Allah, and the spouses must meet the following conditions for marriage (shurutun-nikah):

  1. They must be free (hurriyet)
  2. They must be mentally and intellectually sound (akl)
  3. They must have reached the age of marriage (bulug)
  4. There must be free consent of both parties (ridai tarefejn)
  5. The religion of the groom (especially) must be Islamic
  6. The groom should be a suitable match for the bride in certain cases (akram)
  7. There must be no religiously justifiable impediment between the couple
  8. The couple must not be related by blood, milk or marriage through any lawful means
  9. The intending spouses, both the man and the woman, must enter into marriage intentionally, freely, solely of their own volition, and with full awareness in the name and for the sake of Allah SWT.”

Of course, since we live in the USA, it is necessary for the spouses to abide by the laws of this state.

The conditions for the actual conclusion of marriage (erkanun-nikah) are:

  • Offer of marriage (ijab)
  • Acceptance of marriage (qabul)
  • The declaration of the marriage contract and union must be done at the same time and place.
  • The candidates for marriage must fully hear and understand each other during the offer and acceptance of marriage.
  • The marriage must be performed in the presence of witnesses and a judge (imam) who heard the offer and acceptance of marriage.
  • The amount of mehr (dower) to be paid to the bride must be agreed upon at the time of the marriage.”

CONDITIONS FOR ENTERING INTO MARRIAGE

In order for a marriage to be Islamic and valid, it must be entered into in the name and for the sake of Allah, and the spouses must fulfill the following conditions for the contract of marriage (šurutun-nikah):

  1. that they are free (hurrijjet)
  2. that they are mentally and intellectually sound (akl)
  3. that they have reached the age of marriage (bulug)
  4. that there is free consent of both parties (ridai tarefejn)
  5. that the religious faith of the couple (especially the groom) is Islamic
  6. that the groom is a suitable match for the bride in certain cases (akram)
  7. that there are no religiously justified impediments between the couple,
  8. that the spouses are not in a prohibited relationship or kinship according to Sharia criteria: by blood, milk, or affinity,
  9. that the intending spouses, both the young man and the young woman, enter into marriage deliberately, freely, solely by their own will, with intention and full awareness, in the name and for the sake of Allah.

Of course, since we live in the USA, it is necessary for the spouses to comply with the laws of this country.

The conditions at the time of marriage (erkanun-nikah) are as follows:

  • Proposal of marriage (idjab)
  • Acceptance of the marital bond (kabul)
  • Manifestation of the marriage bond and union must occur simultaneously and at the same place
  • The prospective spouses must fully hear (understand) each other during the proposal and acceptance of the marriage bond and union
  • The marriage ceremony must be conducted in the presence of witnesses and before a judge (imam) who have heard the proposal and acceptance of marriage
  • The agreement of mehr (marital gift) must be made during the wedding.

DO YOU WANT TO GET MARRIED IN BECCA?

If you want to have an Islamic wedding ceremony in BECCA mosque and you would like to schedule a date for its solemnization, please contact the imam of the mosque via email at info@bicc-chicago.com or call at +1-773-338-4076.

During the marriage ceremony, the spouses may exchange wedding gifts (rings), and it is obligatory for them to agree upon the bridal gift (mehr), which belongs to the wife. After the completion of the ceremony, the marital partners will also receive a marriage certificate from the mosque as a memento of this significant moment. The imam may require the spouses to attend marital counseling if he deems it necessary. Similarly, he has the right to cancel a scheduled wedding or change the date according to his mosque-related responsibilities.

To proceed with the marriage, it is necessary for you to obtain a Marriage License from the City Hall. You will need to bring the marriage license with you on the day of the wedding and hand it over to the imam for completion. The wedding date should be scheduled exclusively with the imam, and besides you and your spouse, it is required that three witnesses (at least one male) be present at the mosque on the day of the wedding. The imam will complete the marriage license and hand it over to you during the ceremony so that you can submit it to the City Hall within the legally specified timeframe.

Instructions for congratulations

After the completion of the ceremony, we congratulate the spouses with the following words:

Allah mubarek olsun!

The response to this congratulations is:

Allah razi olsun!

In Arabic, congratulations are expressed with the words:

بَارَكَ اللهُ لَكَ، وَبَارَكَ عَلَيْكَ، وَجَمَعَ بَيْنَكُمَا فِي خَيْر

Barekellahu lekuma ve bareke alejkuma ve džeme’a bejnekuma fi hajr

or a shorter version: Nikah mubarek!

House rules during the wedding

During the wedding, the male members of the congregation congratulate each other, while the female members do the same among themselves, except for family members who have the right to congratulate each other. Indecent behavior and disruption of the wedding protocol are not allowed in the mosque in any way. Photography is permitted, and it is desirable for the spouses to send their photos to the BECCA congregation (info@bicc-chicago.com) for publication

NOTE: Since the wedding takes place in the mosque premises, it is necessary for the bride and groom and all their guests to be appropriately dressed, in accordance with the regulations of our noble faith and the mosque’s code of conduct. If someone is not dressed appropriately, the imam has the right to refuse their participation in the wedding until the dress code requirement is met.”

All our members have the right to free use of the mosque premises as well as the imam’s wedding service. Non-members are required to pay a fee $350. 

Everyone is obliged to clean up the mosque after the wedding ceremony and leave it at least in the same condition as they found it upon arrival.