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Justin Andrew Schuck is now doing photography in the United Arab Emirates. As one of the most gorgeous locations on the planet, Dubai and the United Arab Emirates provides stunning location photography opportunities. I have recently started booking clients for portraits, weddings and events in Dubai. As an American photographer, I provide a unique level of service and luxury to your portrait session not available with other photographers and studios. Please contact my Dubai booking agent to learn more about how I can transform your vision of photography. I call it, ³Photography for the way you live.²
Middle East Photographer Justin Andrew Schuck, Justin Schuck
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in Riyadh, photographer in Middle East, Asia,
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India, Pakistan, Africa, Lebaonon, Egypt, Asia, Saudi Arabia are frequent
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Lebanon, Yemen, Qatar, Oman, The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and North Africa) and the United States (from all over)
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Middle East Photographer Justin Schuck
covers Saudi
Arabia, Qatar, photographer in Amman Jordan, photographer in Dubai, photographer
in Kuwait,professional photographer in the Middle East,
Jordan, Yemen, Bahrain, Egypt, Oman, UAE, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Turkey,corporate
photographer
in Lebanon, Lebanese photographer, Jordanian photographer, Annual report
photography, corporate photography and stock photography, photographer
in Egypt, photographer in Bahrain, photographer in Abu Dhabi, photographer
in Cairo of the Middle East, Asia and North Africa. Editorial , public
relations, photographer in Oman, Qatar, photographer in Yemen, photographer
in Cyprus, Nicosia
Yemen, corporate photographer in Saudi Arabia corporate and annual report
assignment and stock photography world-wide. Photographer in Beirut, photographer
in Amman, Muscat, in Jeddah, With over ten
years of experience in professional stock and assignment, photographer
in Riyadh, photographer in Middle East, Asia,
Pakistan, work, Justin has visited more than fifty countries. Cairo,
Amman, Beirut,annual report photography in Middle East Baghdad, Sana'a,
Aden, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait City, Manama, Jeddah, Damascus, Allepo,
Istanbul, Medellin, Doha, Muscat, Karachi, Bombay, Nicosia, corporate
photography in Saudi Arabia, annual report photography in Dubai, photography
in Bahrain Dammam and Khobar are a short list of some of the cities he
has visited. Professional quality photography for corporate, annual report,
magazine, public relations and advertising firms make up the bulk of his
work. Professional photography in the Arab World for years.
India, Pakistan, Africa, Lebaonon, Egypt, Asia, Saudi Arabia are frequent
destinations of this widely travelled and experienced photographer. Worldwide
coverage of the Middle East, North Africa, Asia and beyond. Coverage of
the Middle East is a priority for Justin Schuck Photography. If you are looking
for a stock photograph of Amman, Beirut, Cairo, Dubai, Kuwait City, Manama,
Sana'a, Muscat Damascus, Baghdad, Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, Khobar, Doha
or other Arab capitals, then Justin Schuck Photography should be
you first stop. Stock photographs from assignments worldwide. Stock photography
from the Middle East including Kuwait, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Jordan,
Lebanon, Yemen, Qatar, Oman, The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and North Africa.
I also do photography in the UK. Based out of London, England in Holland park, near Notting Hill and Kensington Park Gardens, Hyde Park, Big Ben, Kensington Palace, Vauxhall Gardens, Canary Warf, Piccadilly Circus, Oxford Circus, Harrod's, Selfridge's, FCUK. I have scheduled "shoot weekends" about every 4-6 weeks to photograph families, children, headshots, business portraits, modeling portfolios, small weddings, and even more. My Next availability in London and the rest of England and Scotland will be all-day on August 12th and 13th, 2005. That's Friday and Saturday. I have been photographing clients in Washington D.C. and New York for over 10 years, and now I am bringing that experience and unique photographic vision to the U.K. and to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi.
My london base of photography operations is in Mayfair, near Holland Park, Selfridge's, the Selfridge Hotel, Kensington Park Gardens, High Street Kensington, Knightsbridge, Harrod's and Notting Hill. this location provides many great opportunities for brilliant and stunning photography. I invite you to take a look at my us site and learn more about what I can do for you. Please visit www.justinschuck.com.
Muslim Weddings
by Ruqaiyyah Waris Maqsood
Muslim weddings vary enormously according to the culture of the people involved.
Many people in the UK, for example, confuse the celebrations at a Pakistani or Bangladeshi wedding with an Islamic wedding, and assume they are the same thing. This is not so, of course, for many of the Muslims who marry are from widely different cultures - for example European, Turkish, African, Malaysian, and so on.
Secondly, it is important to realise that the 'wedding' means different things too. For many Muslims, it is the Islamic ceremony that counts as the actual wedding, and not the confirmation of that wedding in a registry office.
Oddly enough, although mosques are obviously places of worship, the majority of them in the UK have not yet been officially registered as such, and so any Islamic wedding that merely takes place at a mosque has to be registered legally with the UK law as well, in order to be seen as valid in the UK. Having said that, of course it is a fact that many couples live together these days as 'partners', and 'common law wives' have recently been accorded various legal rights they were not entitled to previously.
Muslim weddings throughout the subcontinent have developed specifically Asian traditions while maintaining Islamic marriage requirements.
Pre-wedding rituals
* Mehndi ceremony
The Mehndi ceremony is held at the home of the bride on the eve of the wedding ceremony or a couple of days before it. The female relatives of the girl anoint her with turmeric paste to bring out the glow in her complexion. A relative or a mehndiwali applies mehndi on the hands and feet of the bride. The event has a festive feel to it with the women singing traditional songs. The bride wears sober clothes. According to custom she must not step out of the house for the next few days until her marriage. The bride's cousins sometimes apply a dot of mehndi on the palm of the groom.
* Welcoming the baraat
The groom arrives at the wedding venue with his baraat. A band of musicians strike up some traditional notes to announce their arrival. The groom shares a drink of sherbet with the bride's brother. The bride's sisters play pranks and slap the guests playfully with batons made of flowers.
* Nikaah
The Nikaah or wedding ceremony can be conducted at the home of the bride or the groom, or at any other convenient venue. A Maulvi (priest) in the presence of close family members and relatives conducts the ceremony. In orthodox Muslim communities, the men and women are seated separately. The 'Walis' (the father of the bride and of the bridegroom) play an important role in the ceremony. The Maulvi reads selected verses from the Quran and the Nikaah is complete after the Ijab-e-Qubul (proposal and acceptance). The boy's side proposes and the girl's side conveys her assent. The mutual consent of the bride and groom is of great importance for the marriage to be legal. On the day of the Nikaah that the elder members of the two families decide the amount of Mehar (nuptial gift). The Mehar is a compulsory amount of money given by the groom's family to the bride.
* Nikaahnama
The Nikaahnaama is a document in which the marriage contract is registered. It contains a set of terms and conditions that must be respected by both the parties, also gives the bride the right to divorce her husband. For the contract to be legal, it must be signed by the bridegroom, the bride, the Walis, and the Maulvi.
* Blessing the groom
The groom receives blessings from the older women and offers them his salaam. The guests pray for the newly-weds.
* Dinner, Prayers and Aarsimashaf
Dinner is a lavish spread. Usually, the women and the men dine separately. After dinner, the newly-weds sit together for the first time. Their heads are covered by a dupatta while they read prayers under the direction of the maulvi (priest). The Quran is placed between the couple and they are allowed to see each only through mirrors.
Post-wedding rituals
* Rukshat
The bride's family bids her a tearful farewell before she departs for her husband's house. The bride's father gives her hand to her husband and tells him to take protect and take good care of her.
* Welcoming the bride
The groom's mother holds the Quran above the head of her new daughter-in-law as she enters her new home for the first time after the wedding.
* Chauthi
The Chauthi is the fourth day after the wedding, when the bride visits the home of her parents. She receives a joyous welcome on this day.
* Valimah
The Valimah is the lavish reception that the groom's family hosts after the Nikaah. It is a joyous occasion that brings together the two families, their relatives and other well-wishers.
WHY EMIRATI WEDDINGS ARE GETTING
LESS LAVISH
Some of the 650 grooms gather for December's mass wedding in the United Arab Emirates
By Meriel Beattie
Reprinted from BBC Online, published Thursday, 16 December, 1999
By normal standards in the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed Said's wedding was a modest affair. With crowds of sword-waving Bedouins; a huge feast -- and none other than the UAE President himself as guest of honour, Mohammed and 650 other bridegrooms celebrated their nuptials together on a huge floodlit parade ground in Abu Dhabi.
Lavish as such a display might seem to outsiders, to Emiratis it's a symbol of a new spirit of economy.
The mass wedding was organised -- and paid for -- by the government's State Marriage Fund: an organisation which is trying to persuade Emiratis to think more carefully about who they marry - and how much they spend on it.
Usually Emirati weddings are private but opulent affairs, with as many as 1,000 guests, expensive light shows and fabulous, fairytale outfits for the bride.
The bill for all this, which falls to the bridegroom to pay, can come to tens of thousands of pounds -- often forcing the young couple to begin their married life in debt.
"If I got married by myself I'd have needed 200,000 Dirhams (£33,000)" Mohammed says, as he shows his official quota of just 10 guests around the mass wedding party. "But with this kind of wedding here I just spend around 70,000 -- which the government has given to me."
High spending has been a way of life in the United Arab Emirates ever since the federation of seven desert states struck it rich with oil in the 1970s.
Now, the glittering skyscrapers, tinted glass limousines and designer boutiques of Dubai and Abu Dhabi are testament to the high-maintenance lifestyle that today's Emiratis enjoy. But things are not quite what they were at the height of the boom. Oil prices have fallen -- and right across the Gulf region people are having to think about diversifying and cutting back on some of the more extravagant aspects of their lifestyles.
For Emiratis, though, flaunting your wealth is a hard habit to break.
Mass weddings are helping the Emirates to limit conspicuous consumption
"The overspending is comes from the household sector, " says economist Abdullah Sharafi. "It's 'Keeping up with the Joneses'. I look at my neighbours, and because they have it, I want it. I don't know if people will come to their senses. Perhaps this has gone too far."
Although economic statistics are a closely guarded secret in the UAE, there are indications that the government realises it is time to assist its people with some basic housekeeping values.
There are two main reasons why weddings in particular have been targeted. Firstly there's the sheer expense. Just an average middle class wedding can cost more than £50,000. The money goes on the bride's wardrobe, her jewellery, a sum paid to her father; a huge women's-only reception for all her friends and relatives -- and a men-only one for him.
Such is the importance of keeping up appearances in the UAE that many grooms will go into debt to pay for all this, rather than lose face before their bride's family.
Traditional finery extends to jewellery and henna, not just a ruinously expensive dress
Recently as many as 80 per cent of all personal loans being taken out by Emirati men were being used to cover wedding expenses.
But perhaps more worrying to the government than the expense is the fact that many Emirati men have been so daunted by the massive cost of marrying an Emirati girl -- that they've gone for the cheaper option of a less demanding foreign bride.
Among the local Emirati population, these mixed marriages are now seen as a worrying dilution of a group which is already a minority in their own country. Emirati nationals are outnumbered four to one by foreign workers -- and there's now a new drive to protect the identity and the culture of the local population.
Which is where the Marriage Fund comes in. Its main function is to give one-off gifts of £12,000 to help bridegrooms pay for their weddings. But there's a catch. The bride must be an Emirati girl, not a foreigner. Each groom must have a fertility check and an AIDS test. So far -- since 1992, the Fund has helped to marry off 44,000 couples.
Handing out thousands of state money for wedding parties may seem a rather bizarre way to preach economy -- but Fund officials say they're delighted with their success.
"People might think, hey -- why are they spending so much on these people?" says Marriage Fund President Jamal al-Bah. "But it does make sense: our Emirati men end up marrying foreigners because it's cheaper and Emirati women -- who are not allowed to marry out of their religion and culture -- are forced to become spinsters because there are no men left to marry them!
"Our organisation cuts down on all these problems and helps to make people more modest with money.
Jamal al-Bah, head of the Marriage Fund
Before our organisation existed, 64% of marriages were mixed; now we've helped cut it down to 26%".
There are signs, too, that the message about economising is slowly sinking in.
Upstairs at Arushi -- Dubai's most exclusive wedding gown couturiers -- French-born designer Mireille Loughlin is hard at work. Kneeling on the floor around her, skilled Indian craftsmen painstakingly hand-sew thousands of tiny beads and crystals onto the bodices of bespoke wedding dresses.
Today's brides still want to be princess for a day, Mireille tells me -- but they're also becoming more conscious of value for money.
Mireille Loughlin of Arushi with one of her creations
"Because these dresses are very expensive, the girls often rent them out after their own marriages - sometimes up to three times! This is happening more and more these days."
On the other side of the city, far removed from the dazzling white and glitter of Arushi's carpeted showrooms, a group of future Emirati brides sit drinking coffee in their traditional black ankle length gowns, or abayas. All students at the prestigious Dubai Women's College, the girls here are part of the new generation of Emirati women -- more pragmatic and more career-oriented than their mothers -- even though they still share the lurking fear of being left on the shelf.
"When my sister got married, it was very grand," Khadija, who's studying graphic design, tells us. "It was a traditional wedding and lasted three days. It was beautiful and made us very happy, but for me it was a waste of money. Today, when I ask her about it, she says 'I wish I'd saved the money to spend on my child and my house.'"
Maryam, a media studies student, nods in agreement. "I have a cousin who got married 11 years ago and he is still paying off the debts!"
Pupils at Dubai Women's college: the younger generation is more careful with money
Is marriage still important for you? I ask. "Yes," says Maryam, "But not in the near future. I'd like to work - and if I got married I would feel restrained. I feel I should develop myself before I take it on."
BEDOUIN WEDDINGS: A RIOT OF COLOR AND MUSIC
The Bedouin wedding reflects the ancient Arab concept of marriage
Reprinted from Arabia.com
April 19, 2001, 02:29 PM
DUBAI (IPS)
- For centuries they have wandered across the vast expanse of the Arabian desert on camel back, braving dry, hot winds. Now the Bedouin people - from the Arab word 'baddwin', meaning dweller of the desert - are a fast diminishing tribe, with many giving up their nomadic lifestyle and settling in the cities.
But old traditions, like the famed Bedouin hospitality and ceremonial folk dances, have become an important part of modern Arab culture. Another well-known custom is the Bedouin wedding, an event that is a riot of color and music, which reflects the true spirit of the desert nomad as well as the ancient Arab concept of marriage - the union of two families and not just two individuals.
A traditional Bedouin wedding lasts for a week and begins with the 'Al Khoutha' (proposal), where the groom's father, accompanied by close relatives and friends, visits the bride's father to seek his daughter's hand for his son. The ceremony revolves around the traditional mint-flavored Arab tea. Very sweet and strong, the tea has an aroma that matches the 'gahwa' (Arabic coffee).
This is followed by the 'Al Akhd', which involves negotiations between the two families and mutual agreement of a marriage contract. The negotiations between the two families are relayed through a public address system. The wedding preparations get underway with the colorful 'Laylat Al Henna' where friends of the bride decorate her hands and feet with henna. This is followed by the fun-filled 'Al Aadaa', where the bride's friends tease the groom to pay a fee for decorating his bride.
''The Laylat Al Henna ceremony is the Bedouin version of a bridal shower and to the Sudanese, it is more than mere skin paint. It symbolizes beauty, luck and health,'' says Adam Drasoa, member of Sudan's National Assembly and Chairman of the Pastoral Union of Sudan.
He was among those present at the recent enactment of Bedouin wedding rituals at the Dubai Shopping Festival. The Bedouin wedding ceremonies were put on show by the Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing organization.
''Authentic events such as these help us recreate the magic of the region. We have deep respect for our past and we aim to preserve and promote it,'' says the tourism body's director Mohammed Khamis Bin Hareb.
Relatives from the bridegroom's family arrive in procession at the bride's house to a warm welcome complete with songs, dance and music of the versatile, one-string rababa violin and 'dalouka' (big drums).
Men perform 'Al Ardha' (war dance), armed with swords and whips. Women from the bride's family display the 'Zaahbaah' comprising the girl's clothes, gifts from the groom's family, jewellery and other items.
The women and men sit separately, under black goat hair tents. Guests bring gifts or 'nuqout', which was traditionally sheep, rice or money. Now it could be a ''TV, silver or a piece of crystal or any thing else modern,'' says Hareb, himself a Bedouin.
The wedding ends with the 'Tarwaah' - the bride's departure for the groom's house, perched atop a camel fitted with a 'houdach', a special and comfortable saddle.
A week later, the bride pays a visit to her parents and presents them with a sheep, some rice, sugar and butter, to indicate her well-being in a house of abundant resources.
''In the past, the couple would go inside their camel hair tent and the bride would not be seen by the crowds at the wedding celebrations. For a young man to get married, he had to have a camel hair tent, which in the past was very expensive and hard to get,'' says Hareb.
According to Abdullah Hamdan Bin Dalmook of the Dubai tourism body, Bedouin marriages are now shorter, but most stretch over at least two days.''Marriage is a time for intimate bonding for families and friends. As per ancient Bedouin custom, the bride and groom do not meet until the ceremony is over. They meet only when she enters her husband's house,'' he explains.
The traditional Bedouin wedding costumes are richly embellished with fine hand embroidery, worked in cross-stitch.
The design is embroidered across the front and back of the dress, down the sleeves and along the main seams. Machine-stitched embroidery is now replacing the hand embroidery. Customarily, a prospective bridegroom pays the bride's father a dowry or bride price, part of which he uses to buy jewellery for his daughter.
Under Muslim law, any jewellery bestowed on the bride in this nuptial settlement becomes her property and insurance in times of need.
Traditionally, Bedouin jewellery is made of silver, usually studded with amber, coral, agate, cornelian, pearls or turquoise. Most pieces are large and usually embossed with fine calligraphy and decorated with Islamic symbols.
A TRADITIONAL YEMENI WEDDING
Our thanks to Nikah Consultants for the content of this page.
A wedding is a joyful is a joyful celebration and considered a welcome opportunity for a social gathering. Customs and traditions are different from one country to another, and many Yemeni customs may seem strange to a Western visitor. Among these is the fact that bride and bridegroom are selected by their respective parents.
In a strict society such as that of Yemen it is easy to see why parents are essential to the choice of a suitable marriage partner. With the exception of relationships within the family, daily life is based on a strict separation of the sexes. A young man has little or no chance of meeting women, particularly those of his own generation. Instead, he has to rely on the advice of his mother of older sisters and aunts.
The bride search: When looking for a bride, the mother and father of the son have to work closely together, as each of them knows one half of the neighbouring families. When the son has reached marriageable age (usually around 17 to 19), the mother looks out for a suitable or from their own family. The marriage of cousins is permitted and practised within Islam. The mother knows the women of the neighbourhood very well. After all, they meet almost daily for the tafrita, the comfortable social gathering of women where the latest news and gossips are swapped. Once the mother has formed her own opinion, she confers with her husband, who knows the male side of the other family very well. The dignity and status of the house from which the prospective daughter-in-law may come are carefully examined. Only when father and mother are of one mind do they consult their son. It could well be possible that he knows the young woman slightly especially if she is one of his relatives. However, it is possible that he knows nothing about her.
A day is set for the father and son to go to the house of the bride's family in order to discuss the matter. This gives the future bride, who usually already knows what the visit means, the chance to take a look at her suitor. She may even have the opportunity of serving tea or qishr to the visitors. Of course she will remain heavily veiled. Usually, she will know much more about him than he will about her. Men are simply more visible in public than women.
Once the father of the son has made his suggestion or choice, the potential father in law will ask for some time to think it over and to discuss it with his family. He will also mention that he will first ask his daughter if she agrees to the choice of suitor. Once all parties are in agreement, a time is fixed for the betrothal.
The betrothal: The betrothal feast is set for a Thursday or a Friday. Father and son, accompanied by three or four male friends or relations, visit the house of the father of the bride bringing raisins, qat and other gifts. The engagement ring is handed over to the father, together with clothes for the mother and daughter. Dates for the mother and daughter. Dates for wedding are considered, and the bride price is decided upon. The major part of the bride price, which is paid by the father of the bridegroom, is later spent on jewelry and clothes for the bride. Valuable things bought with the bride-price remain the private property of the woman, which the husband cannot touch even after many years of marriage. It functions as a sort of insurance policy and remains entirely the woman?s property even after a possible divorce.
The betrothal ceremony's is very informal and verbal. Often the bride price has not been collected yet, and the parties have agreed on a time by which the money shall have been saved up to the agreed amount. Even so, the betrothal is considered a firm promise between two families to marry their children. A withdrawal or a severe loss of face by the family in question. A three-day wedding: The wedding will last for at least three days on Friday, the free day of the week in Yemen. On Wednesday after-noon the marriage contract is signed and concluded in the bride's house. The bridegroom and the father sit opposite one another in the presence of the qadi, an Islamic scholar of the law. The bridegroom then asks his future father-in law: "Will you give me your daughter in marriage?" The father of the bride answers for his daughter: "Yes, I will give you my daughter to wife." The qadi then has to ask the father if his daughter agrees to the arranged marriage. Bridegroom and father clasp right hands. The qadi lays a white clothe over their hands and recites the fatiha, the first sura of the Koran.
The ceremony reaches its height when the father of the bridegroom throws a handful of raisins onto the carpet. All those present try to pick up as many raisins as possible for they are signs of a happy future for the couple. According to another custom, all those present give larger or smaller amounts of money, which are called out one after the other by a crier. The money is intended to cover the cost of the lavish wedding celebrations.
Laylat az-Zaffa, the most important and most public part of the wedding celebrations, takes place on Friday. The butchers come very early in the morning to prepare the meat for the lavish wedding feast. Several sheep and possibly even a calf have been purchased for the meal. Sometimes a hundred or more guests are invited for lunch and an afternoon qat gathering among the men is a common procedure.
Women from the neighbourhood arrive more often than not bringing their kitchen utensils in order to help with the tedious preparations. Several rooms, sometimes even in separate houses, are prepared for the men go to the mosque before the midday meal and say their midday prayers. On the way back, the bridegroom, wearing a traditional brand-new costume and carrying a golden sword in his hands, is accompanied by dancing singing men. Drums provide the beat for the dance. The meal itself is eaten, as usual, in a customary squatting position on the floor.
In the afternoon, the guests sit in various rooms or even on various floors. All of them chew qat and smoke the narhgile. Incense burners fueled by glowing charcoal release the scent of the incense and are passed from recites old poems, with the guests joining him from time to time. The recitation contains reminders of Islamic duties and wish the new couple Allah's blessing and a long happy married life. Whenever the qadi takes a break, a man plays the lute and sings wedding songs. Sometimes he is accompanied by the other guests using hand drums or cymbals.
A marriage is a contract between two parties, a man and a woman, made in the presence of witnesses as well as the woman's guardian. It also involves the payment of a dower, the amount of which is agreed between the two parties and become payable by the husband at the time when the contract is made (though the payment may be deferred by mutual consent).
A marriage contract does not need to be written down in order to be valid. But the documentation is important, particularly these days in order to ensure that all future formalities are properly made.
In many Muslim marriages, the wife may not be present when the actual contract is made. However, her father or guardian comes to her with two witnesses and asks her whether she gives him the [verbal] power of attorney [in presence of the two witnesses] to act for her in marrying her to the man concerned and whether she agrees to the amount of dower to be paid to her. When she has given him the power of attorney, he proceeds to complete the marriage contract.
An offer of marriage is made by the woman's father or guardian. Secondly, an acceptance made by the man in the presence of two Muslim witnesses. The witnesses may be required to confirm the actual marriage in front of a judge. In order that their testimony be binding on a Muslim party, they must be Muslims.
The bride is entitled to receive a dower. The dower, a sum of money, in cash or kind, must be specified as being given by the bridegroom to his bride.*
ntroduction
Muslims believe in one God - Allah - who has complete authority over the destiny of mankind and the prophets through whom His revelations were revealed. Muslims believe that God's 'everlasting message' to man was disclosed to the prophet Muhammad and consequently worship him over God.
The revelation made to Muhammad is known as the Koran (Qur'an), which was memorised and written down. It is believed that none of the 114 chapters have been changed over the centuries, so the Qur'an is regarded as being the absolute unique text and is the primary source of every Muslim's faith and practice. It deals with all the issues which concern mankind: wisdom, principles, worship and law, but the fundamental theme is the relationship between God and humankind.
Legal Requirements
UK marriage laws allow for mosques to be registered for the solemnisation of marriages according to the rites of the Muslim religion. The legal requirements to be fulfilled are those that apply to civil marriages. However, if the building in which you wish to marry is in a different registration district to where you live, you need to prove to the superintendent registrar that the building is your normal place of worship. If you cannot do this, you will be required to give notice in the registration district in which the building is situated after having met the necessary residency requirements.
If there is no mosque or registered building in the registration district in which you live, you will be permitted to marry in a building in the nearest registration district that has one.
A superintendent registrar may also need to attend the ceremony. If the building in which you intend to marry is not registered for the solemnisation of marriages, you must arrange a civil ceremony beforehand to comply with the requirements of the law.
Muslim weddings and divorce
A Muslim marriage is not a religious rite, but simply a legal agreement. Divorce is not common among Muslims, although it is not forbidden as a last resort. Before divorce is considered the couple are expected to attempt to reconcile their differences in the first instance between themselves. If this fails then a person from either family should arbitrate the situation. If these attempts at reconciliation fail and both parties agree then divorce can be considered as an option.
If after a divorce, a reunion occurs, it will be regarded as a new marriage. However, there can be no more than two reunions. The third divorce is the final one.
Customs
The Islamic religion recommends that a couple get to know each other before marriage is considered, however they are not permitted to be alone in a closed room or go out together unchaperoned. The parents usually arrange marriages through recommendation, but the couple must both be in agreement to the union.
Mahr
Mahr is the marriage gift that a new wife is entitled to and no marriage is regarded as being valid without it. It is a token commitment of the husband and may be paid in cash, property or material goods or can be non-material such as a commitment to teaching his wife to read the Qur'an. The mahr may be paid immediately or deferred to a later date. However, a deferred mahr is still due in the event of death or divorce.
The Marriage Ceremony
Marriage is considered to be a social activity as well as an act of worship (ibadah). A Muslim marriage ceremony (called Al Nikah) begins with an address of a marriage sermon (khutba-tun-nikah) by the officiator, who can be any worthy Muslim. The sermon invites the bride and groom, as well as their guests, to a life of piety, mutual love, kindness and social responsibility. Beginning with the praise of Allah, His help and guidance is sought. This is followed by the Muslim confession of faith that 'There is none worthy of worship except Allah, and Muhammad is His servant and messenger' is declared. Then the three Qur'anic verses (Qur'an 4:1, 3:102, 33:70-71) and one prophetic saying (hadith) forms the main text of the marriage. This hadith is:
'O by Allah! Among all of you I am the most God-fearing, and among you all, I am the supermost to save myself from the wrath of Allah, yet my state is that I observe prayer and sleep too. I observe fast and suspend observing them; I marry woman also. And he who turns away from my Sunnah has no relation with me'. (Bukhari).
The officiator concludes the ceremony with prayer (duOa) for the bride, groom and their respective families, the local Muslim community and the Muslim community at large (Ummah).
After the consummation of the marriage, the groom holds a celebration banquet called a walima. The relatives, neighbours and friends are invited in order to make them aware of the marriage.
نبذة عن الجمعية
القطرية للتصوير الضوئيبدأت فكرة تأسيس
الجمعية بالتفاف جماعة من محبي التصوير الضوئي حول
صورهم عن تراث الوطن ، فقرر المجتمعون ولادة أول جماعة
قطرية لفنون التصوير الضوئي .
وفي عام 1995م تم إشهار هذه الجماعة لتشكل الجمعية
القطرية للتصوير الضوئي وهي حاليا تتبع الهيئة العامه
للشباب ويبلغ عدد اعضائها حاليا 230 من الرجال
والسيدات ، والجمعية القطرية للتصوير الضوئي عضو في
الاتحاد الدولي لفن التصوير الضوئي ( فياب ) وعضو
الجمعية الامريكية للتصوير الضوئي .
اهداف الجمعية :
ترعى الجمعية الحركة التصويريه في قطر وتتنبي المواهب
البارزة في هذا المجال وتقدم بذلك من خلال عدة محاور
وهي :- اقامة المحاضرات والندوات لمناقشة موضوعات خاصة
بالتصويريشارك فيها خبراء تستضفيهم الجمعية .
وتنظم الجمعية دورات متخصصة في كل مجالات التصويرمنها( اساسيات التصوير الضوئي - البورترية
الطبيعة الصامتة تحميض وطباعة الافلام الملونه
والابيض والاسود معالجة الصور ببرامج الفوتو شوب
دمج الصور التصوير الرقمي )
كما تقيم الجمعية معارض سنوية خاصة لاعضائها علاوة علي
المعارض الشخصية التي تقيمها وتنظمها الجمعية كما
تشارك الجمعية في المعارض التي تنظمها الجهات الاخري
على هامش فعالياتها ،كذالك نظمت الجمعية معرض صور
الصحافة العالمية ومعرض الصور العالمية ، اضافة الي
المساهمة في التقاويم التي تصدرها مختلف المؤسسات التي
ترغب في تزين تقاويمها بلقطات من اعمال اعضاء الجمعية
.
تمثيل دولة قطر في المحافل الدولية والمعارض الدوليا
عربيا ودوليا .
فالجمعية تتقدم بالشكر سعادة الشيخ حسن بن محمد بن علي
آل ثاني علي تكرمه بتأسيسة مقر الجمعية وافتتاح معرض
قرن ونصف علي الكاميرا وتحقيق حلم المصوريين القطريين
.
والى كلا من الهئية العامه للشباب على دعمها المتواصل
للجمعية ،
والمجلس الوطني للثقافة والفنون والتراث
لدعمها لكثير من انشطة الجمعية
.
