NIKAAH
On the morning of the 'nikaah' the groom and the bride get dressed up in their wedding attire and individually perform gratification prayers. After which, they will be taken to the wedding hall. The men (including the groom) and women (including the bride) are seated separately Zenana (for woman) and Mardaana (for men). A Maulvi (Muslim priest) in the presence of the gathering conducts the ceremony.

The validity of the Nikaah depends on proposal on one side, usually the groom's (Ijab) and acceptance on the other side, the bride's (Qubul). The mutual consent of the bride and groom is of great importance for the marriage to be legal. The 'Maulvi' and a 'gavaah' (witnesses, usually an elderly persons) take the Nikaahnaamah** (the marriage contract) to the bride and personally ask the bride if she has agreed to marry the groom and whether she accepts the quantum of Mehar* (nuptial gift). She must read the whole document and give her 'qabool' (acceptance) and only then sign on it. Once the bride gives her consent the Maulvi reads the Nikaahnaama to the groom. The groom gives his consent and signs the Nikaahnaamah. The Witnesses and The Priest also sign the Nikaahnaamah.

After the Nikaah-Nama is signed, the Maulvi delivers a sermon called Khutba, consisting of verses from the Quran which were recited by the prophet and which lay particular emphasis on obligations toward women. The Maulvi explains the meaning of these verses to the audience with an explanation of the mutual rights and duties of the spouses.

Generally, the Maulvi or Imam recites following verses from Quran:

“Ye are the best of peoples, evolved for mankind, enjoining what is right, forbidding what is wrong, and believing in God. If only the People of the Book had faith, it were best for them: among them are some who have faith, but most of them are perverted transgressors.” (Quran 3:101 Abdullah Yusuf Ali)

“O mankind! reverence your Guardian-Lord, who created you from a single life, created, of like nature, His mate, and from them twain scattered (like seeds) countless men and women;- reverence God, through whom ye demand your mutual (rights), and (reverence) the wombs (That bore you): for God ever watches over you.” (Quran 4:01)

“O, you who believe! Fear God, and (always) say a word directed to the Right. That He may make your conduct whole and sound and forgive you your sins: He that obeys God and His Apostle, has already attained the highest achievement.” (Quran 33:70, 71 Abdullah Yusuf Ali)

The sermon concludes with the announcement of the marriage

Blessing the groom
The groom comes to meet his mom. The groom receives blessings from the older women and offers them his salaam. The guests pray for the newly-weds.

Feast
Lavish food is served to all those present in the occasion.

Mooh Dikhai
This is the ceremony of first time “showing of the face” after the Nikah. The couple is made to see each other in the mirror and the bride unveils her face that she keeps hidden during the Nikah. The bride and groom share a piece of sweet fruit; the bride's maternal aunt feeds the groom milk and then feeds the bride from the same tumbler. Members of both families view the bride and groom as a married couple for the first time and congratulate the couple and offer gifts.

Welcoming the bride
The mother and sisters of the groom play a number of colorful games. This is an illustration of one such game - A tray full of a mixture of water and milk is placed before the couple and a ring is thrown into the mixture and husband and wife are asked to find the ring. The one who finds the ring is considered winner and dominant partner in the relationship. The sisters, friends, and female cousins of bride take this opportunity to steal the groom's shoes and demand a sum of money for shoes. This is very popular custom and groom usually carries a lot of cash, due to the popularity of this custom. He pays money to get back his shoes and girls divide the money among themselves.

Ruksati: Bridal send off
The bride's parents, brothers and other relatives gives her hand to her husband and tells him to take protect and take good care of her.
The bride sets off to leave with the groom to his place. This concludes the Nikaah

* Mehar
On the day of the Nikaah the elder members of the two families decide the amount of Mehar (nuptial gift). In Muslim Nikah, Mehar is a compulsory amount of money given by the groom's family to the bride.

** Nikaahnama - The marriage contract
The Nikaahnaama is a document in which the marriage contract is registered. The Nikaah-Nama also contains certain terms and conditions, which are in accordance with the religion and agreeable to both parties. A noteworthy condition is that in case of a disagreement between the two partners, the girl has a right to divorce her husband. For the contract to be legal, it must be signed by the bridegroom, the bride, the Walis (the father of the bride and of the bridegroom), and the Maulvi (the priest).