Marriage
...and the manner in which ones finds a mate or mates may differ; the idea of confirming a committed partnership in front of family, friends and community is present throughout all religions. In this paper I will look at the ways in which couples meet and marry in three religions: Islam, Hinduism and Iroquois Native American. I will examine how marriage mates are found, the marriage ceremony and expectations of each party after the marriage.
In Islam marriage is not to be taken lightly as it is the most important undertaking in ones life (Dodge, 2003, p.206). While forced marriages are forbidden in the Koran, family does play an important role in the selection of a mate. Much thought is given to the personalities of the people involved and parents also consider what the marriage would mean for both of the extended families (Hopfe Woodward, 2001, p.343). Muslims do not go through an intimate dating period like Americans are used to. According to Dodge (2003) when a person decides they are ready for marriage they inform their parents, let them arrange a meeting with potential suitors, and then meet and get to know each other more with family and close friends present (p.207). Since Islam requires both parties to be chaste before marriage the potential couple does not spend time alone together to avoid temptation (Dodge, 2003, p.207). The parents also tend to look deeply into the background of the other person. Hopfe and Woodward (201) say that, "They may talk with friends, other family members, leaders in the Muslim community, coworkers, or anyone else who may know about the candidate's personality and character."(p.344) It is believed that this type of focused and objective look for a marriage partner leads to a compatible couple that will have a lesser chance for marital conflict and divorce (Dodge, 2003, p.208). It should be noted that the couple must...
View Full Essay
