Paradise Under Your Feet — Page 134
134 customs, either imported from the Indian Subcontinent or borrowed from the West. Rather than focusing on prayers and success of the marriage, certain sections of society seem to be in a rat-race trying to outdo each other in lavishness and overspending. One should realize and try to impress upon our children that these customs put a burden on parents and society as a whole, in addition to promoting innovations in religion. Gift registry, bridal showers, father walking the bride in to the ladies ’ hall, music and dancing , are among just a few examples of customs borrowed from the West. Of course, there is no dearth of customs that have been inherited , mostly from Hindu culture , which are very often rooted in their deities and also taken from Indian movies. Hazrat Khalifatul - Masih V (aba) has emphasized simplicity in wedding ceremonies and has warned against such innovations. In his Friday Sermon of September 25 th , 2009, he says: “ An example of personal extravagance that seems to be on the increase is lavish spending on weddings. This is mostly done in imitation. Both here and in Pakistan, a wide variety of meals are being prepared for a wedding celebration, which is held in addition to the Walima feast. While there is no harm in having celebrations, they can be kept very simple. Then the custom of holding a Mehndi (henna party) before the wedding by the bride ’ s family to express their happiness has increased. Now a lot of money is spent on such occasions, cards are printed and distributed, and special invitations are extended. If a Mehndi is desired, then the bride ’ s friends can simply get together and celebrate; but these occasions are being extended and exaggerated purely for show. A new practice has emerged where the groom ’ s family holds similar functions in the name of a Ronaq (celebration). I have observed that people with sound religious knowledge are