nikah

Noun

nikah (countable and uncountable, plural nikahs)

1. (inexact) A Muslim wedding.
   • There are no official statistics on how many Tajiks have married via Skype, but we spoke to five couples who said they performed the Islamic wedding ceremony nikah through the video chat service, which they say is becoming even more common in more the country’s rural areas.2015 July 29, “The Skype ceremony – the young Tajiks getting married online”, in The Guardian
2. An Islamic marriage contract, especially (inexact) short for nikah 'urfi, any of various Islamic customary marriage procedures providing limited legal rights.
   • The Respondent also left a state of facts with the Master, which stated that... Oomdut Ool Oomrah had one shadee wife, Doolary Begum, and four nicka wives, namely Coolsoom Begum, Chattoore Begum, Mahtaub Begum, and Hyath Begum, and no others.1860 February 4, Edmund F. Moore & al., English Reports, Vol. XIX: Privy Council, Vol. VIII: Indian Appeals, Vol. 7, Mahomed Bauker Hoossain Khan Bahadoor vs. Shurfoon Nissa Begum, p. 482
   • There is no difference between Nikha and Shadee marriages; as the offspring of both the marriages inherit equally.1890, Namdivada R. Narasimmha Aiyer et al., The Mahamadan Law..., 4th edition, Chapter 2, §17