Chapter: The Wedding Banquet (Walīmah)
Introduction
The word walīmah comes from walama, meaning “to gather together,” because the husband and wife are now united; this is the explanation given by al-Azhari. Thaʿlab adds that walīmah is the specific name for the food served at a wedding and is not used for any other feast.
ʿUrs—with a ḍammah on the ʿayn and a sukūn on the rāʾ—denotes the wedding ceremony or the act of marriage; its plural is aʿrās.
ʿIrs—with a kasrah on the ʿayn—is used in the phrases “He is her ʿirs” and “She is his ʿirs,” and together they are called ʿirsān.
ʿArūs—with a fatḥah on the ʿayn—refers to the woman for as long as she remains in the state of her wedding, and the same term applies to the man. The feminine form ʿarūsah is likewise used for the bride during that period.
Lisān al-ʿArab states: “The couple are not called ʿarūsain except during the days of consummation.”
Grand Mufti Shaykh Muḥammad ibn Ibrāhīm said: “Proclaiming the marriage with the duff is a sunnah and carries an obvious benefit; it is legislated so that the marriage becomes publicly known.”
Subul al-Salām notes: “The prophetic reports establish the legitimacy of announcing a marriage and of beating the frame-drum (ghirbāl). The narrations on this are numerous, provided that no forbidden element accompanies it, such as melodious singing by a non-maḥram woman.”
Grand Mufti Shaykh Muḥammad ibn Ibrāhīm Āl al-Shaykh also said: “Songs fall into two categories:
- Those that contain wisdom, admonition, zeal, counsel, and similar content; these are permissible.
- Those that revolve around romance and are accompanied by instruments such as the flute and the like; these are forbidden.”