Abstract
Abstract This article explores the role of zakāt in the marriage ceremony in Wuli (Eastern Senegal). In Islamic law, zakāt is defined as an obligatory alm, a gift ideally from the rich to the poor. In Wuli, zakāt is a 'tithe' substracted from the trousseau and divided among the sisters of the groom in return for the services rendered during the marriage ceremony. The specific adoption of zakāt exemplifies the direction taken by marriage in reformulating existing cultural practices in the light of Islamic precepts. It shows that the various forms of authority exercised by men and women through the performance of rituals are integral to the process of rethinking 'local traditions' and the way in which meaning is attributed to precepts derived from the 'religion'.
Published Version
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