Srinagar, Sept 25 (KNS) : President of Jammu and Kashmir Anjuman-e-Sharie Shian, Hujjat-ul-Islam wal-Muslimeen Aga Syed Hassan Mosavi Al-Safavi, has called for a decisive social reform in marriage ceremonies, urging people to abandon unnecessary customs, extravagance and practices that turn marriage into a financial and social burden, particularly for economically weaker families.

Addressing the Friday congregational gathering at Markazi Imambara Budgam, Aga Syed Hassan said that marriage is a natural and divinely sanctioned institution meant to provide tranquillity, dignity, companionship and spiritual well-being, and should not be reduced to a display of wealth, status and social competition.

He said Islam has provided a dignified, balanced and simple framework for fulfilling this essential human need, but over time unnecessary customs and excessive social expectations have made marriage increasingly difficult for ordinary families. Such practices, he cautioned, can place families under severe financial pressure and create hardships for those who cannot afford extravagant ceremonies.

Aga Syed Hassan stressed that marriage should unite families, not burden them with debt and social pressure. He urged the community to reconsider customs that have no religious basis and to resist the growing tendency to measure a family's dignity through lavish ceremonies, excessive expenditure and material displays.

He particularly called upon families to ensure that the marriage of their children does not become an occasion for unnecessary expenditure or competition. A ceremony that pushes a financially struggling family into debt cannot be regarded as a reflection of Islamic values, he observed, emphasizing that dignity in marriage lies in faith, character, mutual respect and simplicity rather than material extravagance.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel

Referring to the example of Hazrat Fatima Zahra (SA) and Imam Ali (AS), Aga Syed Hassan said that the marriage of these revered personalities provides a powerful model of simplicity and Islamic values. He urged the faithful to draw guidance from the lives of the Ahl-ul-Bayt (AS) rather than allowing socially imposed customs to dictate the manner in which marriages are conducted.

The Anjuman President further underlined that Islam does not oppose legitimate human needs; rather, it provides a lawful and dignified framework for fulfilling them. Marriage, he said, safeguards faith and contributes to the moral, psychological and social well-being of individuals and families.

He appealed to parents, elders, religious scholars and community members to collectively discourage customs that unnecessarily complicate marriage and to make matrimonial ceremonies simple, dignified and accessible, so that financial circumstances do not become an obstacle for young people seeking to establish families.

Aga Syed Hassan also stressed the responsibility of society to protect the younger generation from an environment in which excessive material expectations, social competition and weakening moral restraints can create serious consequences for individuals and families.

He urged the community to revive the Islamic spirit of moderation and simplicity and said that genuine reform would require families to take practical steps rather than merely discussing the problem.

“Marriage should be made easier, not harder,” he emphasized, calling for collective efforts to eliminate unnecessary customs and restore simplicity, dignity and religious values to matrimonial life in Kashmir.(KNS)