CHAPTER ONE

1.1         INTRODUCTION

The objective of this project is to look at how total marriage is conducted among the

Muslims in Plateau Statewith the view of identifying the various problems that are associated

with it and their prospects.

The institution of marriage is the foundation of all civilized nations and communities of

the world. That is why all religions and legal systems have tried as much as possible to regulate

the conduct of marriage as well as its dissolution among its members.

In Islam marriage is seen as a sacred contract which a Muslim enters into, unless if there

are special reasons. Why he should not. Both Glorious Qur’an and the Sunnah of Prophet

Muhammad (SAW) provided basis for Muslims conduct of marriage. Thus, in Qur’an, it is said:

And marry those amongst you who are single and those who among male slave and your female slaves if they are needy, Allah will make them free from what out of this grace. 1

Similarly the Prophet (SAW) has expressly declared that:Marriage is my Sunnah and whoever abstain from my Sunnah is not of me”. It is in compliance with the above injuctions that the Muslims all over struggle to get married in order to gain the pleasure of Allah (SWT). 2

1.2         BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

As mentioned above, this project is set to examine how a marriage is conducted among

the Muslims in Plateau Statewith problems and prospects. Since the arrival of Islam in the State

with 19thCentury Jihad of ShaykhUsmanbnFodiyo.

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However, marriage was being conducted in line with Islam in the state, but there is need for the examination of the extent of its conformity with the Islamic Ideas. This is the view to proffering suggestion for improvement where possible.

1.3         STATEMENT OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM

Since the research aims at bringing out how a valid marriage have been conduct in Islamic law among the Muslims in Plateau State. We have to look at the problems and prospect to be laced in the area of marriage among the people in that state. How do they practice their marriage and to what extend that the people of Plateau State compel their children to marriage and how do they practice it in their culture.

1.4         AIM AND OBJECTIVES

The aim and objective of this research are: to bring in detail the concept and validity of marriage in Islam, to find out some of the reasons why some parents among the citizens of Plateau State give out their children to marriage without their choice, to identify to social impact and implication of forced marriage, to provide reading materials on marriage to provide research and know how marriage is carried out today, to provide rightful way stipulated by Islamic law, to see how marriage was related to status of man and discuss the reasons why Muslims neglect early marriage in their life today.

1.5         SCOPE AND LIMITATION

The concepts and practice of marriage is very wide and this entails studying a large cross section in Muslim marriage; The research however cover only the Muslims of the Plateau State who are practicing Islamic activities, and would be limited to all Muslims that are establishing

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marriage and those who believe with the legality of it, and limitation is the conduct of this project is particularly the time limit.

1.6         METHODOLOGY

For the success of a project, one needs to adopt certain methods. Therefore, in this research two methods are adopted.

i.                    Library research on relevant materials which are to be consulted whether published or unpublished.

ii.                  Oral sources: interviews are to be conducted in order to have information from the people of Plateau State. The study from the primary sources was purely base on teaching of the Glorious Qur’an, Sunnah and figh literature, in addition to the existing literature where by books and papers relevant to the study where used.

Verbal interview technique was conducted to collect data on historical background of the marriage, how marriage was being practiced and kinds of marriage.

1.7         STRUCTURE

This work contains four chapters; chapter one deals with general introduction, background of the study, statement of the research problem aim and objectives, scope and limitation, methodology structure of chapters and literature review. The second chapter deals with the historical background to the study area, the conduct of valid marriage according to Islamic law, definition of marriage the position of marriage in Islam, preliminaries of a Muslim marriage, pr