Shariah Compliance in Malay Wedding Ceremony Expenditure

Abstract

Traditional Malay weddings are fast becoming an expensive affair these days, mainly due to escalation in its overall expenditure, and compounded by some additional rituals, overpriced wedding trappings and services by event managers. While the trend to spend lavishly during weddings is on the rise, the Malay community seems to ignore concerns related with wastefulness which is against Islamic values. This article examines wedding expenditures in Islam and attempts to justify its excessiveness vis-à-vis shariah compliance through the qualitative research method. The data have been collected by interviewing the wedding planners and shariah experts. Data from interviews are analysed by using the thematic content analysis method. These interviews revealed that the Malay community tends to justify high expenditure in four different categories of expenditures. Four categories are examined from the shariah perspective with regard to shariah ideas and validation from shariah experts. Theoretically, Islam acknowledges the Muslims’ right to own and manage their property according to their abilities. The Islamic concept of spending focuses on halal resources, i.e., wholesome, good, and beneficial things, which bring about spiritual rewards. Wedding expenditure is considered shariah-compliant so long as it adheres to the basic concept of not glamourising events and resources not wasted on rituals considered unIslamic. Extra expenditure such as beauty treatment, beautification, dais and photography requirement must comply with relevant shariah edicts. As for the moral aspect of the wedding, the study concludes that the ceremony is only considered shariah-compliant if it conforms to the rules of modesty, gender segregation, awrah, wearing of jewellery, and entertainment. Further, traditional wedding dances should not contain inappropriate elements, and songs sung on the occasion should not contain inappropriate and crude language.