Following passage is taken from book ‘The Way to Happy Marriage Life” by Hazrat Maulana Shah Hakeem Muhammad Akhtar Saheb (damat barkatuhum)

The next Hadith is:

إِنَّ أَعْظَمَ النِّكَاحِ بَرَكَةً أَيْسَرُهُ مَؤُْنَةً

“The most blessed Nikah is the one in which least expenses are incurred, and is simple.”

Allah Ta’ala has put blessing in simplicity, but nowadays the weddings have to be in halls and thousands of people are invited for meals. Food is served in buffet style, free intermingling of sexes, various types of food is served, music is blaring loudly, photos are taken with the bride being displayed on the stage, if possible then the whole wedding is also put on video etc.

About buffet style eating, Allah Ta’ala states in the Holy Qur’aan,

﴾وَيَأْكُلُونَ كَمَا تَأْكُلُ الْأَنْعَامُ﴿

“They eat like animals,”

This verse was for the Kuffaar. What a pity that the Muslims are now imitating the Kuffaar. Whereas the true benefactor of the Ummat announced fourteen hundred years back, that do not eat and drink while standing,

نَهٰی رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى الله ُعَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنِ الاَکْلِ وَالشُّرْبِ قَائِمًا

The Muslims are openly going against this beloved teaching.

Another evil in these weddings is that video films are made of the wedding and certain bearded and so-called pious people often sit and watch all this occur. It is NOT permissible to even sit there. It is Wajib to go away from there immediately.

Any gathering where Allah Ta’ala is disobeyed should be walked out on, even as far as removing the morsel that was in the mouth already. These are evil customs by which the Nikah is deprived of blessings. Attendants in uniform are hired to serve. Some people hire bands to play Haraam music and hire an elephant from the zoo.

The astounding fact is that these people belong to those strata of society who live in shacks and who accept Zakaat. I have seen such people on the occasions of their weddings resorting to such extravagance.

To give Zakaat to such people is Haraam for they have money saved at the bank, which causes them to be excluded from the category of recipients for Zakaat. Do not give your Zakaat to people who make collection of Zakaat a profession. By helping such people one is actually aiding in the commission of Haraam acts. This was with reference to spurious customs innovated by people and which is so called Barakat.