Customary practices

Q: In our society, the culture of late marriages is prevalent nowadays. The zina has become easy nowadays. Now my question is, if a mature Muslim boy and girl does nikaah in privacy, is that nikah valid?

Q: I would like to know if a boy can see many girls before deciding on which one he would like to marry, or should he see one girl at a time?

Q: I recently married my cousin on request of my parents and so that our families stay connected and to obey my mother. But before that I sent a rishta/proposal to a girl that I liked but her family didn’t agreed.

Now after my marriage, that girl is asking me to marry her but I fear my that family and wife won’t agree to it. What should I do? What is the Islamic way to proceed in this matter? If I marry her and keep that a secret is it justified?

Q: What is the correct way of holding an engagement in Islam? Also, is segregation between men and women necessary in waleemah functions?

Q:

1. I would like to know if having a khatam (before a wedding) with lunch and tea, inviting families and friends is allowed in Islam?

2. And also a "mehndi function"

Q: Can I please know if we wish to do an engagement in Islam, what is the proper way to do it. Also, is partition between men and women necessary in events and functions?.

Q: Can a husband marry twice without the permission of his first wife because he does not have any children from his first wife?

Q: There is a tradition when the bride's parents go to the groom's house for discussion, they leave the bride at home. The groom, his parents, bride's parents, everyone are present in the discussion related to marriage, except the bride. The bride is not even allowed to see her in laws house before marriage.

I feel all these rules are made by the society to deprieve a woman of her rights. Since it is her marriage, the bride should be allowed to be present during the discussions, just like the boy. And she should be allowed to see her in laws house before marriage, as she will be spending her entire life there. I am getting married soon, so I just want to know if visiting the groom's house with parents and taking part in discussions, will not be against Islam.

Q: Can a man or woman who don’t want to get married stay unmarried for the whole life?

Q: A girl I know has done a nikaah with her boss. She did not have her guardian present and there was no written documents. They had a supposed molvi reading the nikaah and two witnesses. It was all verbal. Does the nikaah stand?