WELCOME TO THE FAMILY SERVICES DEPARTMENT

Marriage Information

Marriage Procedure

Marriage is one of the most wonderful journeys an individual can embark on. It is important for this journey, as with all journeys, to be best prepared to ensure a successful voyage. Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center is here to help equip our new couples for the best possible expedition.

We, in general, will utilize the following procedures:

Marriage Procedure at DAH:

  1. Bring a marriage license from any Virginia court OR a marriage certificate from any other state.
  2. Make an appointment with the imam within sixty days from the date the license was issued (no timeline for marriage certificates).
    1. Please note that all marriages require premarital counseling, as mentioned in the appointment links:
      1. 30 min – premarital counseling
      2. 1 hr – premarital counseling + marriage ceremony
  3. On the marriage appointment date make sure to bring 
    1. Yourself and your prospect (fiancé)
    2. Wali (guardian) for the prospective bride
      1. Must be a Muslim male
    3. Two witnesses
      1. Must be Muslim males
    4. Court papers 
    5. All IDs (both fiancés, 2 witnesses and male wali)
  4. Mahr (marriage dower) has to be declared in monetary value to be entered in the marriage certificate.
  5. Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center charges 
    1. $300 for in-house ceremonies 
    2. Starting at $500 for an outside ceremony as per availability and special request 
    3. Payment is accepted in multiple forms of payment (cash, credit, etc.)

Feel free to contact our front desk with any other questions and/or to host large gatherings (30+ people) for the wedding ceremony at the masjid 

Divorce Procedure

Divorce is an unfortunate reality when reconciliation is not a solution. There are a number of issues that arise when a couple is unable to reconcile and Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center is here to help smoothen that transition as much as possible.

We, in general, will utilize the following procedures:

  1. Have the couple make an appointment with a spiritual counselor to see if the marriage is reconcilable 
  2. If there is a chance for reconciliation, then an appropriate reconciliation strategy will be presented and followed up with accordingly by the assigned spiritual counselor with the additional input from a licensed marriage counselor if needed
  3. If the marriage is irreconcilable, then the contesting party will be identified and the following possibilities will be presented
    1. If both parties agree on a divorce, then they may part on whatever terms they agree on
      1. If the wife chooses to return the mahr (marriage dower) or a part of it, then the divorce will be considered a khul’
      2. If there is no compensation then the divorce will be considered a talaq (the spiritual counselor will instruct on how and when the talaq is pronounced during the session)
    2. If the husband is the contesting party then
      1. If the wife chooses to return the mahr (marriage dower) or a part of it, then the divorce will be considered a khul’
      2. If there is no compensation then the divorce will be considered a talaq (the spiritual counselor will instruct on how and when the talaq is pronounced during the session)
    3. If the wife is the contesting party then
      1. She can request a divorce and offer to return the mahr (marriage dower) and/or provide some type of financial compensation if he agrees. This would be considered a khul’
      2. If the husband does not agree after being offered compensation then she would seek an annulment (faskh) by 
        1. Approaching a circuit court and initiate a court divorce
        2. Once the court divorce is finalized she should present her court papers to the imam
        3. The imam will contact the husband and provide an opportunity to the husband to divorce her Islamically
        4. If the husband does not agree, then the annulment (faskh) process will be initiated
  4. A divorce certificate from DAH will not be issued until the court divorce has been finalized and must be done so in all of the divorce situations presented previously

Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center charges $300
Payment is accepted in multiple forms of payment (cash, credit, etc.)

Programs Offered

Educational Series of Sermons

The sermon series is planned to address issues that matter most to our community’s needs, challenges, and the reality in which we all live. It combines the authenticity of references, practical applications in the reality, and a positive forward-looking approach into the future, and how we, Muslims, can help shape the future of our nation alongside all people of goodwill. With the focus on spiritual development, these sermons also address our community on topics like political and civic engagement, community service, cooperation with other faith communities on matters of common interest, and many other topics.

Deaf Community Education and Support Programs

This program has been going on since 2007. Every Friday’s 2nd sermon hosts a group of our deaf members of our community and hires a sign language interpreter. The sign language interpreter signs the sermon to the group, and the Imam meets with the group, in the library, after every sermon to take their questions on the topic or on any other subject they may raise. Every Saturday, the Imam gives the deaf group a class they chose to cover the interpretation of the Quran in sign language. Currently, we just finished from the beginning of the Quran until the end of Surat Houd (#11). This year, the Global Deaf
Muslims invited the imam to be their keynote speaker at their international conference held in Herndon Virginia.

Personal and Family Counseling

The Imam dedicates scheduled time daily for personal and family counseling. The counseling needs of our community members are always handled with the utmost respect for personal and family privacy. We get people seeking our counseling services from as far as any state, including the Washington metropolitan states of Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia. Counseling issues include but they are not limited to religious/spiritual issues to social issues, cultural adjustment/awareness, family, raising children, dealing with youth, marriage, etc.

Classes Offered

Weekly Tafseer Class for Adults

Every class takes few Ayat with explanation and clarification of the meaning, the lessons we should learn and how they apply in real life, with examples. The ultimate purpose of this class is to simplify the Quran and to make the audience familiar with its vocabulary and meaning so that they understand it, recite it, learn it, practice it in their daily life, and hopefully invite others to do the same.

Biweekly Tafseer class for youth

This class is a new addition to the classes given by the Imam. It is made specifically for our youth to get them acquainted with the Quran, its message and the beauty of its words and teachings, and how to benefit from it in their daily lives. This class attracts youth who want to understand the Quran. Like all other classes, the youth class does not require registration or fees. It is virtually on zoom.

Sheikh Shaker Elsayed

Children and Family Services - Dar Al-Hijrah 3

Since 1972, Sheikh Shaker worked as a teacher, a volunteer Imam of the Local Jameyyah Shareyyah Mosques, Cairo Egypt, an Imam of the Islamic Center, Wash. D. C., Taught Islamic Studies at the LIR Institute, the American University, Washington D. C., Principal K-12 school, Director of Education at Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), the Founding President of the American Egyptian Council, and the Secretary-General of the Muslim American Society.

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