Rizal and Mariam. Two peas in a pod.
Rizal was always friendly and warm, even if we didn't really know each other that well to begin with, save for our shared love for salsa. In time, I began to appreciate his company. In no time, Rizal and the virtually the whole lot of his friends have shown me the warmth and acceptance I have long since forgotten. I asked him if I could document his Akad Nikah and fortunately, in his ever-so-laidback manner, reminiscent of Aussie outback cowboys (if he had a drawl I'd roll over and die!) he welcomed it.
So what is the Akad Nikah about?
A good and proper Malay wedding begins with the Akad Nikah ceremony. In layman’s terms, the Akad Nikah is a sort of ‘marriage contract’. The proper but slightly ambiguous English translation for the ceremony would be the ‘solemnisation of the marriage’. Only difference to be is the legality of it [Editor’s Note: Stop all this legalese.]
As with all contracts, there is consideration (haha... I hate lawyers, but being one myself, I can’t help it). While this could easily escalate into a law lecture, suffice to say, prior to the Akad Nikah, the Bride requests for (or demands more likely... haha. Sorry, couldn't resist it.) ‘mas kahwin’, literally translated from the Malay language as ‘marriage gold’ The practice of giving mas kahwin is differentiated from the dowry system. For one, dowries are paid from the Bride’s camp to the Groom’s. Traditionally, the dowry was essentially to assist the Groom in the raising of a family as well as to ensure that the Bride was treated fairly in the said nuptials. The mas kahwin on the other hand, symbolizes the Groom’s sincerity towards the Bride as well as his intention to build a family with the lovely lady he is marrying.
To top it off, this ceremony culminates with the parties actually signing the afore-said contract.
OK then, enough words for now. It is my great honor and fondest pleasure to bring to you, Azrizal and Mariam!
For those of you who like statistics:
Vital Stats for July: 4 post 181 pics
Vital Stats So Far: 89 posts 3,532 pics
Disclaimer: The views published in the above photoblog are the author's and the author's alone. If readers are not agreeable with the above views, well, you can bugger-off. All rights are reserved for the photos and the article itself. This article may be reproduced with permission of the author for private or public usage, or other forms of general mayhem. Any unauthorized usage of the images or articles contained therein is expressly prohibited and violators will be prosecuted with the full force of Malaysian law applicable. All photos are reproduced with permission from Azrizal & Mariam. Thank you for reading this disclaimer.
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