Milah Dee is an Islamic religious ceremony which is performed between two adults, usually married to each other and their partner. The couple then puts on a white silk gown (milka), blindfolded each other, and proceed with the wedding ceremony under the guidance of their spiritual guide. Milah Dee is performed in three distinct phases, and each of these phases has different legal implications for both the Muslim couple involved, as well as the observers of the occasion. At the initial stage, known as the ‘encing’, the two partners are not legally married, nor are they engaged in a civil partnership. The purpose of the ‘ences’ stage is for the bride and groom to exchange wedding vows to one another before witnesses, to confirm their relationship as husband and wife, to declare their faith in one another, and to set the religious parameters of their marriage (such as its duration and the number of lashes a woman may need to wear).
The next stage is known as the ‘awara’, and is an outward expression of the deep religious commitment between the two people involved in the marriage. In theory, the ‘awara’ symbolises the transition into ‘holiness’ (and from pagan roots, may also imply transition to paradise). Once this is achieved, the marriage is considered to be sealed, and there is no possibility of divorce occurring during the marriage itself, though any future attempt may be made by either party to void this marriage by simply walking away from it. Once this stage is completed, the wedding rings (or milha) are then given to the two individuals, to mark the conclusion of the marriage and the commencement of their religious covenants, as follows:
The third and final stage is known as the ‘berhabi’ or ‘talaq’. This stage is usually characterized by the involvement of the parents in the wedding ceremony, as well as the involvement of the two nationalities in some way. Once all of the legal requirements have been met, the two individuals who are now officially married to step outside of their respective homes and cross over to the other’s home, where they are formally presented to their partners by their parents. It should be noted that this only occurs if both partners are of the same nationalities, as the ceremony is technically considered to be between them alone. In such cases, one partner would present the other with a ring, while the other would present the first partner with a ring, which is then broken on the field before being put on display.