Shia vs Sunni Nikah
There are many differences in the nikah ceremony of Sunni and Shia. Sunni and Shia have different religious understanding and they also have cultural differences. Due to these differences, Sunni and Shia Alims or religious scholars do not encourage such marriages in which one of the spouses is either Shia or Sunni.
Nikah is a marriage contract between a Muslim man and woman. Sunni and Shia brides are supposed to sign the marriage certificate or nikah nama. There are many requirements and responsibilities for the bride and groom to fulfill .The groom is responsible for providing the living expenses of the bride and the bride has to be responsible for the raising of the children as proper Muslims and the care of the household.
In the Sunni nikah ceremony, it is mandatory to have two adult male witnesses whereas there is no need of witnesses in a divorce or Talaq. On the other hand, Shias do not have such condition to have two witnesses present at the nikah ceremony but they need them only at the time of divorce. During the Shia, nikah kalma and other verses of quran are mandatory to be recited whereas it is not mandatory to recite six kalmias in a Sunni nikah ceremony. Shia nikah ceremony is quite longer than the Sunni nikah ceremony. Before the Shia nikah ceremony, the couple has to perform ghusal or take a bath by following a specific procedure whereas there is no such requirement in a Sunni nikah ceremony. After these, the rest of the ceremony procedure is almost the same. Shias also do not seek permission from authorities to enter into a marriage and they are not allowed to marry women belonging to non-Monotheistic religions. Muslim women are allowed to marry Muslims only.
Shia also believes in a temporary marriage or NikÄḥ al-Mut’ah whereas Sunnis do not believe in such type of fixed-term nikah or marriage. Within this Mut`ah nikah ceremony, the man and woman live under a contract of marriage. The fixed-term nikah or marriage is subject to renewal and it dissolves automatically once the contract is over. How long the Mut`ah nikah may last is up to the consent of the man and the woman and the date of expiration is also written on the nikah form. Mut`ah marriage can be turned into a permanent marriage at any time. Within this marriage contract there is no need for divorce.
Sunnis on the other hand have another form of nikah or marriage contract that is called NikÄḥ-e-Misyar. It is also a non traditional temporary marriage or nikah contract but is not exactly the same as Mut`ah. However, Nikah al Mut`ah and Nikah e misyar are controversial topics for both Sunni and Shia Muslims. Sunni and Shia both condemn such practices and other rituals.
Summary:
1. Shia nikah ceremony is longer than a Sunni nikah ceremony.
2. Sunni nikah requires the presence of two witnesses at the time of the nikah whereas Shia Muslims do not believe in having such requirement.
3. Shia Muslims favor Nikah-al-Mut`ah whereas Sunni Muslims strongly oppose it.
4. There is a non conventional nikah ceremony in Sunnis called the Nikah e Misyar.
5. Sunni and Shia have slight differences in the traditional and ritual practices during nikah ceremony.