Wedding Customs - A call to the Sunnah

RINGS
THE ENGAGEMENT RING
The formal engagement party and especially the exchange of rings
began in the Roman era. Under Roman law the bridegroom furnished
security for the completion of the bargain. The ring and solemn
embrace gave the act mystic significance. Later the tradition was
carried on by the Christians; De Sponsalibus et Donationibus ante
Nuptias required an engagement contract sworn before witnesses and
solemnised by a ring. If either party died during the engagement the
survivor and heirs divided the estate between them. It was legally
possible to sue the partner who decided to break the engagement and
there are hundreds of cases in the history of English law. Of course
returning the ring is still a vital step in breaking an engagement. The
significance of an engagement and the ring is a tradition based on the
Christian ethos, western culture and superstition. It is, of course, bad
luck to lose or damage an engagement ring, lest the contract it
represent should suffer and if another girl tries on the ring the owner's
future happiness will be jeopardised.
In Isl\m there is no basis for the concept of an engagement and the
Sunnah is to marry the couple without unnecessary delay, once they
have agreed to marry. Thus the engagement contract or party and the
engagement ring are innovations introduced into Isl\m.
THE WEDDING RING
The manual of Sarum Use, which defines forms of service acceptable
in the diocese of Salisbury (Church of England), suggests a reason for
choosing the fourth finger of the left hand as the wedding ring finger:
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