What does Muslim Marriage involve(legally ,culturally)?

[Allthatglittersisntart]

My DP really wants to get married in a muslim ceremony before the birth of our DC. I understand this would unable us to travel to the Middle East /live there if he got a job there , without having to go through a legal marriage. I am a non-denominational Christian and he says that is permitted.
Has any-one here (especially non-Muslims) had this ceremony?
Does it make it legal to live as a married couple in all muslim countries?
Would I have less rights over my DC in those countries?
Are there any non-obvious risks to this type of marriage?
What on earth do you wear ?

Basically a friend is in a fairly turbulent relationship with somebody who is Muslim, they have had the Nikkah but not the legal ceremony which is booked for in a year’s time but I’m not sure their relationship will last until then. Just wondering what would happen if they split, I get the impression he wouldn’t want that to happen but she might. They’re both British and live in the U.K.

If theyve only had the Nikkah done in the UK then you're friend can just walk away if they split as they are not legally married here.

If that's what you think you haven't researched very much. A father doesn't have to be married to have PR for their child.

Bottom line is that a nikkah in the UK means absolutely nothing legally in the UK. If you split up you won't be entitled to a share of assets in the way that you would be if you had a legal marriage in the UK.

Regardless of your marital status, your dp will have parental responsibility for your child once born.

In many ME countries if you split up while you were living there you would not be able to bring the child back to the UK without the fathers permission, and your child may automatically be ordered to live with the father and not you.

Additionally if you were reliant on him for a visa, if you split then you may be required to return to the UK without your child.

It’s not him that doesn’t want the UK marriage. I’m just not that into the idea of marriage as an institution (my parents were both unmarried divorcees living as married) and definitely not the ceremony at the same time as being pregnant/with a newborn.

Not if I don't put him on the birth certificate! He would have to go to court(which he wouldn't).
I expect I shall register him though.
https://www.gov.uk/parental-rights-responsibilities/who-has-parental-responsibility

There was a thread on here a few years back by a woman who had gone to the ME with her seemingly egalitarian husband who changed overnight. She was essentially stuck there, unable to leave the house.

I understand where you're coming from regarding your background and views on marriage as an institution, but the bottom line is that you will have more rights as a married couple than as cohabiting partners. There's a list on the citizens advice page with property, children, children's nationality, inheritance, next of kin - it spells out the differences.

Be aware that whilst he may be fairly liberal in his views and behaviour in the U.K., he may change when he's in a Muslim country especially if he has family there as often the will of the family overrides everything else. If the family don't like you then you will find things very difficult and may try to alienate you from your children.

@Moonwatcher1234 i have plenty of friends in the UK who are Muslim and would not want to live in the ME. Every male Muslim friend I have who has married a non-Muslim their wives have converted to Islam and the kids are being brought up as Muslim. I’ve nothing against any of them, they’re our friends. However OP seems a bit blinkered.

So don't have a ceremony. Book a registry office and rope in a couple
Of witnesses.

Agree with OP being blinkered but it really is a gross generalisation to make out being a woman is intolerable in all Muslim or Middle Eastern countries. Many of my female friends (Muslim and non Muslim) have moved to Middle Eastern countries and are perfectly happy. One can come across legal problems once divorce enters the equation in all foreign jurisdictions sadly. It’s not unique to the Middle East - I asked whether you have spoken to Muslim women in the mid east and your reply suggests not. Please don’t think of them as voiceless non - entities - they aren’t.

@Moonwatcher1234 yes I have friends who have lived in Dubai and returned to England to educate their daughters.

I don’t mean “ex-pats” I mean women that are actually from these countries.

As a practicing Muslim I face palm at your DP actions..hypocritical.

Every single person UI know in your shoes ended up divorced, single mother and never works out and majorly bitter.

Even those who wore niqab etc and really tried to act Muslim. Sorry but your really heading to a bad situation.

We had a spiritual wedding, not Muslim or Christian, and a legal wedding. We did our legal wedding on our lunch breaks from work, grabbed some fast food because we had used up our time, and went back with our lunches back to our respective workplaces. You don’t have to treat the legal marriage as anything more important than a trip to any other government office to fill out paperwork, but our lives are still dependent on government forms.

Yes this happened to a friend of mine - religious wedding only (they never ‘got around’ to a registry one because he always had excuses), she went to Saturday language classes to keep his mum happy. They’d been going out since they were about 17 and his mum had always hated her (and she is the sweetest person you will ever meet).

so one day, so after about 15 years as a couple, she comes home from work to find that he’s cleared out taking the car and whatever he wanted from the house. No indication that this was in the cards. Left her a message saying he was going. Mortgage in her name. They never really spoke again.

last heard, he married a cousin a lot younger than him. At least his mum was happy.

You’d be actually mad to even consider this.
A disaster waiting to happen.