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New forms of Islamic marriage in Ghana
In name of Allah, the Most Compassionate and Merciful!
We praise and salute the Prophet of Islam, our leader and beloved to Allah and to us, Mohammed, Peace and blessings of the Almighty be upon Him and His family and noble companions.
Last week, I presided over a marriage ceremony as the conductor as well as the Imam who rendered the Khutba or marriage sermon and gave an advice to the couple at the National Mosque of Ghana at Kanda in Accra.
My attention has been drawn to some Muslims professionals, including some scholars and students of knowledge pouring their criticism and objections over certain practices and activities that took place at the ceremony and its aftermath. Some described it as foreign and alien to our culture but not unlawful, and others say it is completely haram and not permissible in Islam.
I have decided to offer my opinion, and an Islamic Fatwa in public without publicly exposing the couple out of our respect to them because the subject matter is becoming a public matter and therefore I pray my opinion would help in settling or at least extinguishing the simmering tension and debate over Islamic laws; traditions and its application, Insha Allah.
The Holy Quran as the ultimate Guide for all Muslims in every aspect of life permits entertainment and merry making when one or group of people rejoice or find a means to be happy.
Say, O Prophet, “In Allah’s grace and mercy let them rejoice. That is far better than whatever wealth they amass.” 10:58.
The only concern is for all the people involved and participating not to include or entertain any form of any of the following:
1. Alcoholic drinks
2. Consumption of pig
3. Consumption of the meat of dead animal or lawfully permitted animal to be consumed but wrongly slaughtered
4. Dancing with a woman or a man in case of a woman who is not lawfully your partner, sister, mother or daughter.
5. Exposing parts of the body that makes one attractive and sexy
6. The lyrics in the music does not have or contain any immoral words, among other things.
In certain cultures in Ghana and outside Ghana, couples exchange weddings or engagement rings before, during or after the wedding and wedding gowns whether white or any colour including holding parties and receptions at hotels or event centres, and the issuance of marriage certificates.
All these are permitted in Islam as long as it does not violate or break any law such as kissing in public between the couple, which is also permissible only to some extent, touching the body parts of your partner in a dance or any form, and the superstition that the rings and white gowns bring fortunes or bondage between the couple.
Ibn Abbas reported: Ayisha gave away one of her relatives in marriage to a man among the Ansar. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, came and said, “Did you send them a girl?” They said yes. The Prophet said, “Did you send someone to sing with her?” She said no. The Prophet said, “Verily, the Ansar are a people who love poetry, so you should send someone along with her to say: Here we come, to you we come, greet us as we greet you.”
Source: Sunan Ibn Mājah 1900
In another narration of this Hadith by Imam Bukhari (RA), the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon actually said: oh Ayisha, was there any entertainment in the gathering because the people of Madina love entertainment.
I pray to Allah to bestow upon us His wisdom and guide, bless all our efforts and understanding of the religion and bless our affairs.
The writer is a Member of the National Peace Council of Ghana (NPC) and Chairman of the Greater Accra Regional Peace Council (GARPC). Executive Secretary of the Tijjaniya Muslims of Ghana.
By Alhaji Khuzaima Mohammed Osman
One of the issues we have been grappling with as a nation is corruption, and it has had such a devastating effect on our national development. I have been convinced that until morality becomes the foundation upon which our governance system is built, we can never go forward as a nation.
Our traditional practices, which have shaped our cultural beliefs, have always espoused values that have kept us along the straight and the narrow and have preserved our societies since ancient times.
These are values that frown on negative habits like stealing, cheating, greediness, selfishness, etc. Our grandparents have told us stories of societies where stealing was regarded as so shameful that offenders, when caught, have on a number of instances committed suicide.
In fact, my mother told me of a story where a man who was living in the same village as her mother (my grandmother), after having been caught stealing a neighbour’s cockerel, out of shame committed suicide on a mango tree. Those were the days that shameful acts were an abomination.
Tegare worship, a traditional spiritual worship during which the spirit possesses the Tegare Priest and begins to reveal secrets, was one of the means by which the society upheld African values in the days of my grandmother and the early childhood days of my mother.
Those were the days when the fear of being killed by Tegare prevented people from engaging in anti-social vices. These days, people sleeping with other people’s wives are not uncommon.
These wrongful behaviour was not countenanced at all by Tegare. One was likely going to lose his life on days that Tegare operates, and so unhealthy habits like coveting your neighbour’s wife was a taboo.
Stealing of other people’s farm produce, for instance, could mean certain death or incapacitation of the whole or part of the body in the full glare of everybody. People realised that there were consequences for wrongdoing, and this went a long way to motivate the society to adhere to right values.
Imagine a President being sworn into office and whoever administers the oath says, “Please say this after me: I, Mr. …., do solemnly swear by God, the spirits of my ancestors and the spirits ruling in Ghana, that should I engage in corrupt acts, may I and my family become crippled, may madness become entrenched in my family, may incurable sicknesses and diseases be my portion and that of my family, both immediate and extended.”
Can you imagine a situation where a few weeks afterwards the President goes to engage in corrupt acts and we hear of his sudden demise or incapacitation and confessing that he engaged in corrupt acts before passing or before the incapacitation—and the effect it will have on his successor? I believe we have to critically examine this option to curb corruption.
My grandmother gave me an eyewitness account of one such encounter where a woman died instantly after the Tegare Priest had revealed a wrong attitude she had displayed during the performance on one of the days scheduled for Tegare spirit manifestation.
According to her story, the Priest, after he had been possessed by the spirit, declared that for what the woman had done, he would not forgive her and that he would kill. Instantly, according to my grandmother, the lady fell down suddenly and she died—just like what happened to Ananias and his wife Sapphira in Acts Chapter 5.
NB: ‘CHANGE KOTOKA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO KOFI BAAKO
By Laud Kissi-Mensah
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BY ROBERT EKOW GRIMMOND-THOMPSON
