• Islam allows for many different forms of marriage.relaxation image by haemengine from Fotolia.com
  
  Under Islamic law, known as Sharia and considered God's law by Islam, Muslim marriage is a literal contract between couples. While the institution of marriage allows for polygamy, these contracts are between the husband and each wife individually. Due to the complexity of relationships, multiple forms of marriage exist to accommodate all kinds of couples and each with its own rules and customs.
  
  

Nikah

• The Nikah is the most common form of marriage in the Muslim world. Through the Nikah, a couple can live together and fulfill marital responsibilities with each other. The bride's father, or closest male benefactor, must agree to the union prior to any ceremony and an appropriate Haq-e-Mahr must be agreed upon. The Haq-e-Mahr is an amount of money paid to the bride, from the groom, prior to or shortly after the marriage ceremony and is intended as insurance that the bride has access to should anything happen to her husband. The Nikah requires two male witnesses in attendance and the announcement for the ceremony must be public. Muslim men can enter no more than four Nikah at the same time, but the actual practice of polygamy is rare in some areas and quite common in others. Arranged marriages are common in some Muslim communities; however, despite marital arrangements by parents, both parties must agree to the marriage upon reaching the age of adulthood in order for the marriage to be legal.
  
  

Nikah 'urfi

• Nikah 'urfi marriages are closely associated with the standard Nikah marriage, except that the ceremony is not publicly announced. Two witnesses are still required but the ceremony can be as simple as two people stating that they are now married and signing a paper declaring that they have agreed to be married. Nikah 'urfi marriages are not seen as valid Muslim marriages and no options for divorce or protections exist for those entering into this type of marriage. Only Egypt has passed laws to grant partners of a 'urfi marriage the right to divorce. Additionally, Nikah 'urfi marriages do not give couples the right to live together. These marriages are more common among young Muslims; however, the illegitimate nature of this union creates a problem for the couple involved as well as their families.
  
  

Nikah al-Mut'ah

• The Nikah al-Mut'ah marriage has a set time limit made at the time of the union. According to Answering Ansar, "At the conclusion of this marital term, the marriage dissolves and any financial agreements are settled." The couple agrees on specific rules for their marriage prior to the union and while there is no formal reprimand should they not fulfill these responsibilities, it is grounds to end the marriage. These unions help to ease modesty laws in situations where men and women will be cohabitating where no contact al-Mut'ah marriages are common. Young people often agree to these forms of unions at the behest of their parents in order to determine if a couple will be happy together in preparation for a formal Nikah. Mut'ah marriages are not counted towards a man's maximum allowed number of wives.
  
  

Nikah Misyar

• Misyar marriages can resemble other forms of marriage but the specific difference of a Misyar marriage is that both parties give up specified marriage responsibilities upon entering the union. Commonly surrendered responsibilities include equal division of property or living together. According to Arab News, "These marriages are most common amongst elderly, women who wish to avoid the unmarried stigma or poor Muslims who wish to be married but are unable to live together due to health, social or financial issues."