NOTE: Free essay sample provided on this page should be used for references or sample purposes only. The sample essay is available to anyone, so any direct quoting without mentioning the source will be considered plagiarism by schools, colleges and universities that use plagiarism detection software. To get a completely brand-new, plagiarism-free essay, please use our essay writing service.
One click instant price quote
Marriage customs and rites in the Arabia Marriage, is the oldest contract between two individuals even before Islam. Nowadays; with all the social and economic frustration it is not an easy decision to take. For a person to decide that he is ready to marry he has to choose between; if he wants an arranged marriage or he will marry a girl whom he chose. What is meant by arranged marriage is marriage that is arranged between two families without even the couples having seen each other yet, and in many cases it is usually between kin. Although there is modernization in the Arabian region yet; there are customs and tradition that can not be discarded and we still follow and apply.
For example; a highly educated man who may be living a westernized life when it come to marry he will choose to marry in the traditional way and follow the rites of the marriage like the dowry, the wedding ceremony, the engagement. These kinds of customs are practiced in the Arabia with no differentiation between Muslims or Christians they both follow the same sort of marriage rites. This article tries to throw a light of some of the marriage rites and traditions in some Arabian countries like Lebanon, Jordan and specifically in Sudan. The paper does not only cover some of the Arabs tradition concerning marriage, but it tries to show a contrast between how Modernization and Westernization did had only a slight effect on marriage traditions, and rites. The paper also; with a slight focus identifies how there has been a change in womens role in the Arabia. It is just an attempt to give a cultural understanding of marriage in the Arabia.
The book of law of desire gave a definition to marriage that it is a contract of exchange that involves a sort of ownership. They gain an exclusive right of sexual union. (Shall: 33). Among tribes of Arabia, tribes that consist of people who call themselves of one kin, three kinds of marriage custom are possible: the tribe is endogamous. A man is not allowed to marry outsides of his own stock. the tribe is exogamous.
A man is not allowed to marry a woman of his own stock. marriage is allowed with kinsfolk and aliens indifferently. In the past, there was a slight law of endogamy among Arabs. A man might find often a wife by agreement in a friendly tribe, where there could be no political reason for the womans kin objecting to the match.
Marriage with a woman not of the kin was even preferred, because it was thought that the children of such a match were stronger and better. (Robertson: 75). But; starting from the 19 th. century There was a stronger preference in the Arabia for the marriage of cousins. They see it as a symbol that units people who are already united with no sociological difference. Among the Bedouins it is a rare thing for a woman to leave her tribe, while a stranger is permitted to settle down and have a wife (Robertson: 78). Well established customs of marriage: It is paid by the husband to the bride.
It can be a price of compensation for taking the bride from her family, or it is a present from the groom. While the deferred payment is considered a protection for the bride. Data shows that the custom of requiring a symbolic advanced payment is very strong in Beirut upper class families and widespread among upper and middle classes in Amman and Damascus. (Prothero: 39). The custom of giving a bride price was until this century widespread in non Islamic as well as Islamic parts of Africa and Asia. (Robertson: 89). This shows the importance of the Dowry custom that has not been faded till now. As for the Zeffa or the train of people escorting the bride to her bridegroom, it is assumed to be a symbol of a party returning from a successful raid and bearing the bride with them.
This is the tradition among the Bedouins. (Robertson: 67). The Zeffa is much occurring in villages, and country sides to escort the bride from her house to her husbands house. On interviewing Ashraf Makram, who is a Sudanese student at the American University in Cairo, he said that in Sudan there is the custom that the bride should put Henna on her hand palm and her legs on the day of her marriage, as Henna is considered like make-up for them, they call it Zeffa. (Personal Interview). Early marriage of girls is common in agrarian societies which is a parental arrangement of marriages, so we are not surprised to learn that in traditional families the girls married at early age. At the same time, nowadays all the characteristics are undergoing change as the society modernizes, so we could expect the age of marriage to be increasing. Arab demanded that the girl should reach puberty.
By 1940 data indicated that 19, 20 was the average age for marriage of Muslim Palestinians at Pati cities, and also in Beirut starting 1950. (Prothero: 22). By 1970 the average range from 17 to 22 in Beirut and Amman. There are some class differences even concerning marriage age. The upper class women generally marry later than the others, since she spends time in the education process. Prothero, the author of the book Changing Family patterns in the Arab east, said that There is also a contrast between age of marriage of men and that of women. While; data shows that the increase in age of marriage of women nowadays is a sign of the growing independence of women and is probably a result of the changing role of women in Arabian society. (Prothero: 54 - 55).
This is the period that proceeds the marriage, and it did not appear except in cities while among villages and tribe, and Bedouins it does not exist, since the groom is not even allowed to see the bride before their marriage. In the cities, the groom visits his bride house and arrange the weddings needs, then he asks about the dowry and if agreement reached then there is a reception held at the brides house called engagement. Then the next step towards marriage is writing the marriage contract. (Holy: 35). Some Arab countries customs concerning marriage: In Arab border villages in Israel units called haul. There is the notion that a mans marriage to a haul girl is not only his right but his duty as it is a symbolic expression of the closeness of the angelic connection between haul members. Also, the author, Holy of the book of kinship, honor and solitary said that the Arabs in Israel are aware of the symbolic meaning of specific marriage choices.
their closeness expresses the significant of particular relation it is within the cultural context. (Holy: 86). The Arabs there want to preserve their clans purity. There is a data from kurt Al ma village convey a similar picture. The three main clans in the village are (Beni Yasin, Beni Due and Beni Amr). The Beni Yasin adhere more the cousin marriage from within the village.
They base it on the purity of their descent from one common ancestor, which they contrast with the mixed origin of the other two clans... In Amman during 1955 - 60. A survey of questioning a small group of married women showed that only one fifth of the older women age 40 had participated in the choosing of their husbands either by making a selection or by giving consent. (prothero: 120). That is why, since the arranging of marriage in cities was traditionally a bit more complex than in villages. Several studies in Arab cities have shown an increasing tendency to consult the girl before making the final choice of husband Lebanon, is more liberal, the girl is not only gaining more freedom in the selection of her mate, but is also being steadily relieved of many of other restrictions on her premarital freedom of association. (Prothero: 122). Concerning the concept of marrying within the family kin, the concept is asserted with highly statistics in a marionette village in the chief in Lebanon and in Arab villages in the lower Galilee of Israel. (Holy: 85).
Some of the marriage customs in ARATAS: The married women in Area...
Free research essays on topics related to: allowed to marry, arranged marriage, bride, upper class, married women
Research essay sample on Allowed To Marry Arranged Marriage
