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WalimaThe marriage feast in Islam — a recommended celebration hosted after the nikah. Definition from the HalalWallet Islamic Finance Glossary. Arabic: وليمة.Published by HalalWallet (halalwallet.ca).

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Walima

وليمة

Pronunciation: wah-LEE-mah

Contracts

The marriage feast in Islam — a recommended celebration hosted after the nikah.

Definition

The wedding feast in Islam, a Sunnah celebration held to announce and celebrate a marriage. The Prophet (peace be upon him) instructed a Companion to hold a walima "even with one sheep" (Sahih al-Bukhari 5167), and attending when invited is emphasized. The walima is traditionally hosted by the groom's side, though customs vary by culture.

Importantly, the walima is distinct from the mahr: the mahr is the husband's obligatory gift to the wife, while the walima is a recommended celebration. Islam encourages moderation — a simple, debt-free feast is closer to the Sunnah than the lavish, often loan-funded weddings that cultural expectations sometimes impose.

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Walima (وليمة) — The marriage feast in Islam — a recommended celebration hosted after the nikah. The wedding feast in Islam, a Sunnah celebration held to announce and celebrate a marriage. The Prophet (peace be upon him) instructed a Companion to hold a walima "even with one sheep" (Sahih al-Bukhari 5167), and attending when invited is emphasized.

  • The marriage feast in Islam — a recommended celebration hosted after the nikah.
  • Category: Contracts
  • Related: Nikah, Mahr
  • Compare related Shariah-compliant products on HalalWallet
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HalalWallet. “Walima: Definition & Meaning in Islamic Finance.” HalalWallet, https://www.halalwallet.ca/glossary/walima. Accessed 2026-06-10.

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Reviewed by: HalalWallet Editorial Team

Last reviewed: 2026-06-01

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