Wedding celebrated with Qira't
competition
Chitral-- In a break from the normal where singing and dancing
are essential part of weddings, A qirat (Quranic recitations)
and Hamd o Naat ( poetic expression of praise of God and the
Prophet ) was held at at Shogram village some 45 KM from north
of Chitral town. The occasion was wedding ceremony of Hafiz Qari
Naseeruddin Mahmood qualified from Darululoom Islamia Lahore.
Naib Mohtamim of Darul Uloom Dr. Ahmad Mian Thanvi was chief
guest the ceremony while the ceremony was presided over by
Maulana Qazi Muhammad Anis a teacher of that Darululoom.
Dr. Ahmad Thanvi said that marriage is not only a social
agreement but is an important part of Islamic elements and we
should celebrate it according to Islamic principles. He said
that usually we arranging music programs during marriage
ceremony but this is first initiative to celebrate marriage
according to Islamic education and arranged a Qirat and Naat
competition.
He said Muslims must adopt Islamic principles on the occasion of
happiness and grief.
An other ceremony of Qirat competition was held at Mori village.
Dr. Ahmad Mian Thanvi was chief gust and Akhunzada Rahmatullah
was presiding over the ceremony. Those who participated in Qirat
competition were Qari Naseerulla, Qari Muhammad Malik, Wiqat
Ahmad, Saeedur Rehman, Shujar Rehman, Khurshid Ahmad, Abdul
Ghani, Maqsood Ahmad, Suhail Ahmad, Noorul Basar and Qari M.
Yaseen etc. A large number of Muslims were present on the
occasion of this ceremony. --(GH Farooqi, 25 July 10)
Comment -1
I was pleased to read about the wedding that was
celebrated with the praise of Allah SWT and the Holy Prophet (SAW). I
hope this wedding is a trendsetter. It will InshaAllah be a
source of blessing for both the families. Here in Islamabad, I
attended a wedding ceremony of a religious family who had
invited elderly ladies to share experiences of their marital
lives and give advices to the bride about tolerance, patience
and moral values, which unfortunately, are gradually
disappearing from our culture It is just another idea I
wanted to share, as it may be of use to the readers. Best wishes
to the newly married couple. -- Zeenat Khan,
Islamabad,.26 July 10.
Comment -2
This is with reference to subject news story.
It is very difficult to endorse such development as we don’t
have adequate proof for the subject in Islamic history.
In societies every body is free to celebrate his affair as per
his likes, priorities and after all his requirements but does
not enjoy rights to justify putting it as a trendsetter. Every
household has its own culture and carries its formalities
according to it. No data can be presented from any quarter of
our religious history where the whole process of wedding
solemnized under recitation of verses from the holy Quran. Even
our prophet (PBUH) allowed some kind of music on his own
wedding. Islam already exists in Islamic way of wedding as
engagement and Nikah are concluded with verses from Quran. The
music is just to add to the joy the couple and both
families feel providing the people an opportunity to get
together.
I would take exception to any notion that there is slight
repugnance in Chitrali music to our religion. Our musical
programs conducted separately on gender basis giving no way for
vulgarity, nudity or any other misfortune. Females rarely join
the program participated by the males. No female has so for
danced before males. Yes the unwanted behavior recently being
allied with our cultural ceremonies can be debated and possibly
controlled. I am not going to declare the Shogram development
the harbinger of Talibanization but requesting all and sundry to
stick to their individual/ family/ ancestral customs and not to
undermine and negate our culture which, though may not be purely
orthodox Islamic but surely is not un-Islamic as well.
Sadly speaking, I must disclose my discontent that Shogram has
so far been threatened. The beautiful small hamlet is the birth
place of a musical legend; Siar. If Shogram loses the music on
the events like wedding, the future of music in the entire
valley would go downhill --Ejaz Ahmed,
Islamabad. 26 July 10.
Comment -3
With respect to the comment made about my feedback regarding the
Qir'aat competition, I have nowhere in my remarks stated
anything against musical celebrations at weddings. I am well
aware that the Prophet (SAW) has allowed singing at
wedding ceremonies,
with what etiquettes and limitations is another debate
altogether.
What I meant to say was that even having activities such as
qir'aat competitions is no harm. It would only be wrong if this
activity were made a religious compulsion, for in that case it
would become a 'bid'ah'.But just for a change from the regular
wedding on goings, I don't feel there is anything wrong with it.
I did not mean to offend anyone with my review.
I have nowhere declared the Chitrali culture as an unislamic
one. I too am an admirer of our
cultural heritage
and am proud of the distinctive ethnic
traditional history that we have.I wrote a letter to
Chitral news titled 'Urbanization
vs. Ethnicity' afew days back, in which I shared the fears I
had about Chitral losing its ethnology and originality in the
whirlpool of changing trends. I hope my point of view is clear
now.--Zeenat Khan, Islamabad, 27 July 10
Comment -4
Having read the report by GH Farooqi on the subject and
subsequent comments by different writers thereon, I felt an urge
to pen down a few points so that an average reader is not
carried away by the impassioned outpourings of our ulama
(religious scholars) who, somehow, try to Islamize every event
taking place in our society. It has almost become a fashion
now-a-days to start an event, be it even a musical event, with
recitation and Hamd-o-Naa’t without realizing that by doing so
we are committing an act of sacrilege unwittingly.
Marriage is a social contract between two individuals of
opposite sex practiced in every religion. It is generally
consummated in two stages. In Islam, first it is duly solemnized
with the recitation of some relevant Quranic verses and
formalized by religious procedures approved by the Sunna
practiced throughout the ages. At this stage, presence of a
religious scholar or in common parlance, a moulvi becomes
necessary as he is the man who knows how to solemnize the
marriage as per the dictates of Islam. Recitation from the Holy
Quran on this occasion is very much understandable. As for the
second stage of marriage, it is celebrated with full festivity
and gaiety. Creating an atmosphere wearing a somber mood at this
stage is generally taken as unwelcoming. At this stage every
hilarious activity including singing and dancing is seen as a
desirable act provided it is observed within the bounds
prescribed by Islam and our cultural values.
The learned reporter has quoted Dr. Ahmad Mian Thanvi as saying
that this is the first initiative to celebrate marriage
according to Islamic principles. May I request the learned Dr.
who was the chief guest of the subject event to enlighten us by
quoting a few incidents from Islamic history where the Holy
Prophet (SAW) made the marriage ceremony a purely spiritual
event and prohibited hilarious activities including singing and
dancing. Of course, as I have mentioned earlier, the event
should be celebrated while observing the norms of decency,
morality, civility and modesty. May I also remind respected Dr.
Thanvi that in Islam any kind of innovation pertaining to
religious matters is strictly forbidden. It may be pertinent to
mention here that when the Holy Prophet (SAW) entered Madina on
migration from Makka he was received on the beat of drum (duff)
with children singing and dancing.
There are appropriate occasions where recitation of the Holy
Quran and Hamd-o-Naa’t may be held to sanctify the event. But on
festive occasions like marriage, holding Qira’t and Hamd-o-Naa’t
competitions may seem out of tune thereby compromising the
sanctity of the Quranic verses.
Islam has clearly laid down parameters for each activity and has
urged the believers to operate while remaining within those
parameters. Today, our ulama (religious scholars) put the label
of profanity on every activity that in their view is un-Islamic.
Our clergymen declare every that activity to be un-Islamic which
does not suit their temperament; and to support their contention
they find refuge in the Holy Quran and Sunna by quoting such
verses from the Holy Quran and ahadith (sayings of the Holy
Prophet) which don’t have any direct or even indirect relevance
with the issue under consideration. What we need to do is to
understand the essence and spirit of Islamic commandments, which
by virtue of their universality and ubiquity cater to the needs
arising out of the changing situations. We need to see the
background, context and set of circumstances under which a
particular command was made operative. Furthermore, we should
not forget that in Islam the door of ijtihad (intellectual
exertion) is always open providing a space for interpretation
while seeking basic guidance from the Holy Quran, Sunna and ijma
(consensus opinion of ulama) to deal with novel issues. History
of Islam is replete with glorious examples of ijtihad and one
often quoted incident is that of Hazrat Muadh Ibn Jabl whom the
Holy Prophet had appointed as judge of Yaman. Before leaving for
Yaman the Holy Prophet asked him how he would decide the new
issues coming up before him if he does not find clear and
explicit guidance in the Holy Quran and ahadith? Hazrat Muadh’s
reply was that in such an eventuality he would seek guidance
from ijma (consensus opinion of ulama) and analogy (qias) and in
case he does not find any solution there either, he will
exercise his own reason and interpret the matter as per his own
understanding. On hearing this, the Holy Prophet is reported to
have felt extremely pleased and gave his approval.
In the Holy Quran Allah (SWT) has urged the believers to
exercise their reason, ponder over the teachings of the Holy
Quran and reach an understanding. But the most unfortunate thing
with we Muslims today is that we never bother to study and
understand religion. We have very conveniently assigned it to a
moulvi and absolved ourselves of the responsibility. We have
accepted him as the final authority to interpret the Quranic
commandments and have no option but to surrender before what he
says.
The unique distinction of Islam is that its teachings and
commandments conform to human reason and are in absolute
concordance with human nature. But unfortunately, some of our
religious scholars, at times, behave like a peremptory
ecclesiastic ever ready to pronounce a religious edict (fatwa)
of infidelity even on a minor lapse. We need to change this
mindset and look at the issues with rationality and appreciate
that Islam is not a religion in a traditional sense; it is not a
religion of rituals only; it is a Deen which encompasses every
aspect of human life thereby earning the title of “a complete
code of life.” --Col (r) Ikram Ullah Khan
COMSATS University, Abbottabad, 30 July 10.
Comment -5
Excellent analytic comment by Col Ikram
Ullah Khan,. The write-up backed by solid references
and research rightly stresses the need for Ijtihad and Ijma on
many contemporary issues. The desire of some religious scholars
to blindly follow their point of view despite having divergent
views available from other religious scholars on the same
subject, creates confusion in the minds of the innocent seekers
of the true path of our beloved religion Islam.
Sadaqat Ali, Chitral, 30 Jul 10.
Comment -6
Ref. the news about Mubarik Mehfil of Husn-e-Qiraat held in Mori
village, I am surprised to see the comments of Col. Ikram Ullah
& Ijaz Ahmed. As a Muslim how can we imagine to criticize the
mehfil Qiraat and give preference to singing & dancing over such
a holy mehfil. I don’t understand what is the problem posed to
other people if a person starts his family life with the
recitation of holy Quran as long as he dosen’t force any one to
forcibly obey the same. is it not a democratic right of a person
to celebrate his marriage according to his own choice instead of
following the cultural music show? besides everyone knows
the fact that how many people come to music shows without using
drugs (tara, drochogh, charse etc.)? . As a Chitrali we like
traditional music upto some level but it does not mean that
anyone can give preference to music on his religious belief..
Hameed Ullah (Booni), Gulberg-Lahore,31
July10.
Comment -7
This is with reference to GH Faruqi’s report on the unique
wedding ritual. In the subsequent comments, Col. (r) Ikramullah
Khan has quoted appropriate and relevant references from Islamic
teachings to educate the readers. I would like to endorse the
views of the learned Col sahib. This is very unfortunate that we
some times try to divert the teachings of Islam according to our
own wishes which is not fair. If some one celebrates his
marriage with Qiraat mehfil, it is good but it does not mean
that it is the only Islamic way of wedding. My friend Farooqi
did not mention the amount of Meher fixed at the marriage. He
did not mention the food and clothes etc. Islam is
complete code of life. it is not restricted to a few rituals.--Dr
Inayatullah Faizi, Chitral, 09 Aug 10.
Comment -8
Ref the news about qiraat competition during a wedding ceremony,
there have been several subsequent comments both opposing and
encouraging the act. Some of us have said that singing and
dancing have been allowed by the Prophet SAW, in other words
calling it sunnah, because islamicaly whatever the prophet has
done himself or has allowed in his life is a sunnah. I believe
that we should be very careful while talking about
Hadith and sunnah because it is a great responsibility.
When prophet Muhammad SAW entered madinah, the little girls who
welcomed him were only singing, not dancing. The lyrics of the
song 'tala al badru Alaina' meaning 'the moon has risen over us'
were simple and decent words praising the prophet, almost like a
naat or nasheed. The songs that were sung by girls on weddings
during the peophet's time were usually about wars or war heroes,
as we know from ahadeeth. There were no inappropriate lyrics
about the mercilesness of a loved one, or praising a namehram's
beauty. According to my knowledge, there used to be no dances
neither by males, nor by females. The only musical instrument
used was the duff. The point I am trying to make is that if we
feel so offended by someone's personal choice of holding a
qiraat competition on a wedding, calling it unislamic, can
anyone on the other hand, guide me about the Islamic
happenings at the usual wedding celebrations that we have. .As
we all know that Islam is a way of life, therefore, shouldn't
everything we do, be it eating, drinking, working in a daily
routine or celebrating a wedding be according to the
Quran and sunnah? If holding a qiraat competition
is not justified islamicaly then neither are the other
happenings on weddings these days. --Zeenat
Khan, Islamabad,13 Aug 10).
Comment
-9
First, let me wish Hafiz Qari Naseeruddin Mahmood and his bride
a happy and long lasting prosperous marriage. It is indeed a
happy occasion, full of hope to build a family and also a moment
to be of little or no concern about the challenges that lay
ahead as life together begins to unfold. In reaction to GH
Frooqi’s report, a lively exchange of ideas regarding marriage
celebration indicates an increasing social vibrancy in the
Chitrali society. It is not my intention here either to agree or
disagree with any particular point of view. My objective is
rather to pose certain questions and reflect on them in the
context of the entire debate. While enjoying reading through the
diverging and converging opinions expressed by a number of
enthusiastic contributors to the discussion, I had to ask myself
these questions. Is wedding a social event or a religious event?
Is it a celebratory event or an event of solemnity? Are there
common standards as to what should a wedding ceremony involve?
If marriage treated as a religious event, it will require a
number of things. It has to have the approval of a religious
authority for its making and dissolution. Participants in its
commemoration will be restricted to those who have same beliefs
or interpretation of the shared beliefs. All others, neighbours
or acquaintances will be excluded unless they belong to the same
religious group. Even if they are invited as special guests,
their participation will be mere attendance without involvement.
In other words, wedding, in this scenario, is not different from
any other religious rituals which are open only to the faith
community concerned.
If wedding is considered a social event, it will have totally
different set of formalities. It is not dependent on the
approval of a religious authority for its legitimacy or
dissolution. Its legal formalities can be finalized
traditionally by performing Nikah which is a legal consent,
verbal or written, between bride and groom or the same can be
done in a civil court. By virtue of being a happy social
occasion, neighbours, friends and relatives regardless of their
beliefs or interpretation participate in the ceremony and share
happiness with the wedding couple and the families concerned.
Since it is a social event, it is open to every individual big
or small male or female to be part of the celebration; it can’t
be a moment of celebration for some at the exclusion of others.
As a social event, its entertaining activities have to be of
cultural nature rather than ritual form in order for everyone to
participate. It is here the dichotomy becomes apparent whether
the entertaining activities at wedding should be cultural or
ritual in expression. Naturally, cultural items are inclusive
while ritual items are limited to one homogenous group.
The second question: is wedding an event of celebration or
solemnity? Let us consider it a social event first. In social
event, people are relaxed, casual and in entertaining spirit –
laughing, joking and in funny mood. There is a bit of chaos in
the sense that children running around in excitement, youths
have their own corners and women their own silos to have fun and
elderly people engrossed in conversation and so on. Music, dance
and other cultural elements add to this celebration without
making anyone feel misplaced. But if wedding is treated as a
solemn occasion, it creates a totally different ambience. People
have to be formal, both in dressing and demeanour. They should
sit in an orderly manner, children should be disciplined and
formality and seriousness should prevail in every way. All
activities should reflect solemnity of the occasion. This leads
us to the third question.
Are there common standards? Wedding can be as simple as the
couple going to a civil court or invite a Nikah reciter to a
place to seal the marriage contract and go home and live happily
thereafter. It can be as extravagant as one’s imagination can
go. In the first case, the couple may have a pressing reason to
meet the bare minimum of marriage requirement. In the second
case, the extremity is in the form of ostentation and reckless
waste of money. In case of large majority of people, what is
important is to have a modest wedding ceremony where happiness
can be shared with relatives, friends and neighbours. In other
words, there is no one set of wedding celebration standards that
are applicable across the population. It is also a matter of
personal choice of the wedding couple as to how they want to
celebrate. However, one must keep in mind that life is like a
bridge which is supported by two ends, weakening or forsaking
either of them will result in its collapse. These two supporting
ends are world (dunya) and faith (din), both are important and
to be lived and enjoyed. Put it differently, culture and
religion are two sides of one coin; they are together yet
distinct from each other in expression.
--Dr. Mir Baiz Khan, Toronto, Canada, 16 Aug 10.
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