Celebrating an Engagement

Our dear friends Mohab (an English teacher colleague from school) and Dalia (assistant to the principal of the national school) held their traditional Islamic engagement party at the home of Dalia’s family. We were extremely honoured to be invited to this intimate affair, joining their immediate family members. 

Dalia’s parents are both doctors and their villa is gorgeous. Their reception room is on the main floor and Dalia and her two sisters had prepared and decorated the room for the occasion.

Dalia’s father led her down the stairs to join Mohab. The two men greeted each other and Dalia and Mohab walked together to take their special seats at the head of the room.

Art : Fur inscribed with a verse from the Quaran

  

Dalia's family

Mohab's family

Needless to say, there was a great deal of picture taking.

To become engaged, Mohab had already taken these steps: 1) formally asked Dalia’s father for her hand, at which time both parents asked many questions. 2) Dalia’s father had to satisfy himself that his daughter was choosing a man of good character 3) Mohab's mother met Dalia's parents. 4) A week later, Mohab and Dalia’s father met again and agreed upon the finances; how much gold Mohab would provide, how much Mohab would provide for an apartment and furnishings etc. 5) Then Mohab gave the agreed upon amount to Dalia’s father and Dalia and her mother went and purchased the gold. 

At the engagement party Mohab presented Dalia with these gold items (engagement and wedding rings, necklace, bracelets). The rings were put onto the 4^th finger of Dalia’s right hand. At their wedding these will be moved over onto her left hand.) Mohab had purchased himself a silver ring (men do not wear gold wedding bands), and Dalia placed this onto his right hand.

right hands

 

Mohab and Dalia gave each other a sip of sweet cordial to symbolize the sweetness of their love.

Dalia's sister acted as "DJ". The first dance was a slow song. 

It was Dalia's and Mohab's first dance together.

The dancing continued with faster songs and everyone joined in.

We moved over to the table laden with food where they cut their engagement cake and gave each other a taste.  They were cute cutting the cake because they did not want to cut through either of their names (written in Arabic, of course) so they ended up slicing the cake between the two sections.

Everyone got a chance to eat, even Dalia's neice, fed with love by granny.

Before their engagement party, Mohab and Dalia were not able to be talk together alone, even in public. Now that they are officially engaged, they are recognized as a couple but will still only be able to go out together with her parent's permission and with a family member joining them as a chaperone.

It was a memorable evening, and we were made to feel very welcome by Dalia's gracious parents. 
Of course it goes without saying that we hope to be at the wedding in 2011.