An account of the manners and customs of the modern EgyptiansLane, Edward William
History
An account of the manners and customs of the modern Egyptians
Lane, Edward William
Egypt -- Social life and customs
It is held lawful for a Muslim to marry a Christian or a Jewish woman,
if induced to do so by excessive love of her, or if he cannot obtain a
wife of his own faith; but in this case the offspring must follow the
father’s faith,[177] and the wife does not inherit when the father dies.
A Muslim′eh, however, is not allowed under any circumstances, but when
force is employed, to marry a man who is not of her own faith. A man is
forbidden, by the Kur-án[178] and the Sunneh, to marry his mother, or
other ascendant; his daughter, or other descendant; his sister, or
half-sister; the sister of his father or mother, or other ascendant; his
niece, or any of her descendants; his foster-mother,[179] or a woman
related to him by milk in any of the degrees which would preclude his
marriage with her if she were similarly related to him by consanguinity;
the mother of his wife, even if he have not consummated his marriage
with this wife; the daughter of his wife if he have consummated his
marriage with the latter, and she be still his wife; his father’s wife,
and his son’s wife; and to have at the same time two wives who are
sisters, or aunt and niece: he is forbidden also to marry his
unemancipated slave, or another man’s slave, if he have already a free
wife. It is lawful for the Muslim to see the faces of these women whom
he is forbidden to marry, but of no others, excepting his own wives and
female slaves. The marriage of a man and woman, or of a man and a girl
who has arrived at puberty, is lawfully effected by their declaring
(which the latter generally does by a “wekeel,” or deputy) their consent
to marry each other, in the presence of two witnesses (if witnesses can
be procured), and by the payment, or part-payment, of a dowry. But the
consent of a girl under the age of puberty is not required; her father,
or, if he be dead, her nearest adult male relation, or any person
appointed as her guardian by will or by the Kádee, acting for her as he
pleases.[180] The giving of a dowry is indispensable, and the least sum
that is allowed by law is ten “dirhems” (or drachms of silver), which is
equal to about five shillings of our money. A man may legally marry a
woman without mentioning a dowry; but after the consummation of the
marriage she can, in this case, compel him to pay the sum of ten
dirhems.[181]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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