The Impact of the Shicite Faith on the Patterns of Choosing Spouses in Iran

This piece assesses the extent to which the practice of choosing spouses in Iranian society has been influenced by the Shicite faith. The Islamic and Shicite doctrine have had a particular impact on the practice of marriage in the following cases: confirmation of the sacredness and value of marriage, recognition of the role of parents in choosing spouses for their offspring, prohibition of marrying certain close relatives, prohibition of marriage outside the Islamic community, and recognition of practices such as polygamy, temporary marriage and the allocation of marriage-portion for the wife [mehriie], as well as the rules on the timing of the marriage ceremony