Social Media Critic: Why are Jama’at members told not to have speeches at weddings?
Response: Marriages in Islam are meant to be a simple affair. Our Khalifa, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (may Allah be his Helper) has reminded us about this important Islamic teaching at various occasions. Marriages are not meant to be extravagant occasions. If that was allowed, many people would find marriages to be a burden. They would be forced, due to societal pressure, to spend an extra-ordinary amount of money on a single wedding ceremony.
Some may wonder that a single speech with some introduction of the bride and groom is a harmless affair. What harm could it bring? However, these kinds of instructions in the Jama’at are not intended to ban single speeches. They are given with the foresight that such actions could become excessive and turn a simple event into a grand occasion with many speeches. One ‘harmless’ step in the wrong direction is still a step in the wrong direction and needs to be prevented.
As Muslims, we follow the model of the Holy Prophet (sa) who never had a grand ceremony for the marriages of his children. They were very simple events and not meant as any show-off. By having speeches, families could potentially get into an unhealthy competition of laying out the good traits of the boy or the girl which could foster arrogance. Furthermore, a wedding reception has many guests present and private details of the boy or girl could be shared in such speeches which are not intended for the entire audience. In Islam, both arrogance and unnecessary sharing of private matters are forbidden and should be avoided.
Further Reading:
https://www.alislam.org/book/pathway-to-paradise/islamic-marriage-system/
