Written by
"Prominent Social and Peace Activist of Kashmir Sheikh Jamsheed".

In Kashmiri culture, weddings have become splendid celebrations enriched with grand expenses, often leading to the plight of many deserving girls remaining unmarried. In this age of instant gratification, it is precisely, difficult for the poor girls to afford the marriages and due to the destitute of the materials they remain unmarried and their opportunities to marry are restricted.

"What the Quran Says About Extravagance in Celebrations".

The Quran highlights the balance and speaks against extravagance in several verses.

1) Surah An-Nur (24:32):

"And marry those among you who are single, and the pious among your male and female slaves. If they are poor, Allah will enrich them from His bounty."

2) In another Surah Allah the Exalted mentions in Surah, Al-Baqarah (2:233):
"Nor should a mother be made to suffer harm through her child, nor a father through his child. Upon both of them is a duty, and upon the father is their provision and their clothing."

3) Similarly, in another verse of the Holy Quran (The Universal Guide) in Surah Al-Isra (17:26-27):
"And give the relative his due, and [also] the poor and the traveler, and do not spend wastefully. Indeed, the wasteful are brothers of the devils, and ever has Satan been to his Lord ungrateful."

4) Similarly, in another Surah Al-Ma'idah (5:87) Allah (May he be Exalted and Glorified) states that
"O you who have believed, do not prohibit the good things which Allah has made lawful to you and do not transgress. Indeed, Allah does not like transgressors." From the aforementioned verses of the Holy Qura'an We can pursue a sense of contemplation that spending Wasteful is strictly prohibited in the Qura'an Pak as Allah Almighty does not like the transgressors. Marriage is considered one of the sacred aspects of Islam, as it helps in the formation of a spiritual and legitimate bond between a Man and a Woman. It is that bond which connects them together for the entirety of life. Allah Almighty states in the Holy Quran "And we created you in Pairs" (As male and female) (Al-Quran 78:8) this verse serves as a reminder that Allah Almighty has created a Male and a Female for one another, so that they Could live together and could share sorrows and griefs, Happiness and Joys, troubles and hardships with one another. Allah Almighty and his beloved Prophet Hazrate Muhammad (May Peace be upon Him) has forbidden any sinful and tempting act (sensualism), neither a male nor a female is allowed to fulfill their sensuality in an unapproved way, but Marriage has been encouraged to fulfill one's physical, emotional and spiritual desires legitimately. The Valley of Kashmir has deep traditional roots of Culture, sacred values, morals and customs now taking a drift towards catastrophic scenarios in the name of marriages. In order to showcase one's wealth, money and assets, Marriage has been seen as an event where even an average Kashmiri spends a lot of his wealth. Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him), Says "Extravagance in wedding parties are things that are contrary to sharee‘ah. The most beloved marriage is that which is accessible; the less the expenses are, greater are the blessings. This is something that is included in the words of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted (interpretation of the meaning): but waste not by extravagance, Precisely, Allâh Almighty does not like Al-Musrifûn (those who waste by extravagance” [al-A‘raaf 7:31].Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelSince the inception, Kashmir has been known for its traditions , values and culture across the world. Kashmir is predominantly, known for its extravagant marriages. Gone are the days, When marriages were supposed to be the union of two Souls and a sense of belongingness between the two families, it has now witnessed a shift towards showcasing one's wealth and Pretentiousness. This profligacy has brought and has invited a multidimensional and a substantial issues for the families with limited incomes. Kashmir is home to hundreds of thousands of orphanages and Deprived families which results in the unmarried of the poor girls as they are unable to afford the extravagance. There are thousands of families who are unable even to carry out simple marriages but with the growing trend of the extravagant marriages especially through social media has brought such families under knees.

Unnoticed Impacts of Extravagance:-

1) Underprivileged girls remain unmarried :- In this age of instant gratification, the marriage system in the valley of Kashmir has taken a multidimensional shift with its expenses and disbursements. One person spends substantial and significant wealth on the marriages, while the poor and underprivileged girls are unable to marry due to the limited income.

2) Extravagance leads to the Financial strains and instability:- It has been witnessed that an average individual in the valley spends substantial and his accumulated assets on the marriages extravagantly. Such profligacy leads to the financial strains and stress.

3) Extravagance leads to the loss of the true essence of marriage:- Marriage is considered a sacred bond and the Union of the two souls, but when extravagance of materialism is done, it overshades the true essence of marriage.

4) Social instability:- Extravagance leads to social instability. It promotes competition and comparison. Marriage, once considered as a sacred bond is now being showcased as a symbol of wealth and social status leads to the social instability and unnecessary competition disturbing the stability to an alarming extent.

Some of the measures to combat extravagance through Islamic teachings that promote simplicity and moderation.

1) Highlighting the significance of Simplicity in Weddings:- The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) always highlighted simplicity in marriage ceremonies. One of the Hadiths, He (SAW) says "The best marriage is upon which the least disbursements and expense is placed." (Sunan Ibn Majah).

2) Disseminating awareness among the masses :- In my opinion, collective weddings should be made where multiple couples are married in a single ceremony. This step will surely reduce cost and unnecessary extravagance.

3) Moving towards Cultural Values for which the Valley is known for :- Revisiting the cultural values can surely bring a significant change in the marriage system. Marriage is considered the Union of two souls so it should be more spiritual and not economical.

By studying more about the Islamic teachings we can make sure that our weddings are not going with extravagance by any means, we should focus on making the "Nikkah" So simple that even the underprivileged girls are able to marry. (In Sha Allah).

The writer can be reached at sheikhjamsheed751@gmail.com.