Will extravagance ever end in our weddings?
By: Bilal Ahmad Sofi
Let me start this write-up in simple words. Extravagance means to have reckless usages of edible things, money, or other goods significantly over various functions of life in general and weddings in particular.
In other words, it simply means to spend money or serve something lavishly over various ceremonies especially on weddings for the maintenance of high status in society. In this modern era, it is unfortunately deemed to be scrumptious event rather than having adverse effects over other people living around them.
Modern world is quite replete with enormous things used in our wedding ceremonies for which a person gets impelled to buy or purchase them, even though he is poor. Without these, a wedding organizer is being looked down upon in his locality by invitees or others as well.
Moreover, it is crystal clear that extravagance in wedding ceremonies is exponentially spiraling or mounting day by day rather than decreasing in our societies. It has been a great trend for past couple of years in our vale that has significantly caused so many deaths and unpleasant events of life because of having extreme usage of unnecessary goods or commodities applied in our nuptials.
It is also pertinent to mention here that there are countless daughters across Kashmir valley who have crossed their marriage age owing to extravagance in weddings. Apart from this, there are now other cases burgeoning such as demands from the patriarchal side that has significantly left an indelible threat over the minds of girls’ families.
Otherwise, a boy isn’t willing to marry to that girl until the conditions are not fulfilled. Moreover, it is now apparent that spending lavishly or serving edible things recklessly in our wedding ceremonies have left the lives of other families in lurch.
Now, the question arises here who is responsible and accountable for above mentioned menace? In my opinion, all of us are responsible for it due to lack of the Islamic knowledge, as Islam never permits to have extravagance in weddings.
As it is said in the holy Quran that those who constantly get stuck in extravagance are the close friends of devil which always makes their living so miserable and insolvent with the passage of time.
In brief words, there is dire need to stop this evil practice in our wedding ceremonies as soon as possible. As “charity beings at home” if we students or educated people act upon Islamic teachings and make our parents acquainted with the evil practices of extravagance, then a lot of change can take place in the alleviation of lavishness in our wedding scenarios existing in our Valley.
We should instill Islamic knowledge with wisdom in our children and college going students so that they may may act in the right direction and help eliminate this menace at an earliest.
(The author teaches at Khushipora, HMT)
