Problems Relating to Archiving Nikah Documents in Germany’s Arab Mosques
In this contribution, I examine how Arab imams in Germany draw up and archive documents pertaining to exclusively religious Islamic marriages (nikah). The absence of a central Islamic authority responsible for registering and safeguarding nikah documents in Germany has led to the emergence of a wide...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2022
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| In: |
Journal of Muslims in Europe
Year: 2022, Volume: 11, Issue: 3, Pages: 315-332 |
| Further subjects: | B
Mosques
B Imam B nikah B marriage registrations B Archives B Germany |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | In this contribution, I examine how Arab imams in Germany draw up and archive documents pertaining to exclusively religious Islamic marriages (nikah). The absence of a central Islamic authority responsible for registering and safeguarding nikah documents in Germany has led to the emergence of a wide range of practices among Arab imams. These include formal registrations of nikahs on pre-printed forms kept in files, boxes or a storeroom; non-standardised documents issued and handled in various different ways; and orally concluded contracts with no documentary trail whatsoever. In this article, I describe and analyse the different approaches to and practices associated with conducting and recording nikahs among Arab imams. I found that some imams try to formalise the documentary trail with a view to protecting the religious rights of spouses and avoiding internal disputes, whereas others lack experience of institutionalised procedures, thus creating what might be described as archival chaos. I argue that, to reduce the likelihood of unintended consequences, a large number of imams in Germany would benefit from receiving help with professionalising their nikah practices and setting up sound mosque administrations and professionally run archives. |
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| ISSN: | 2211-7954 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of Muslims in Europe
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1163/22117954-bja10061 |