Problems Relating to Archiving Nikah Documents in Germany’s Arab Mosques

What is it about?

In this article, I examine how Arab imams in Germany draw up and archive documents pertaining to exclusively religious Islamic marriages (nikah). I find out that some imams try to formalize the documentary trail with a view to protecting the religious rights of spouses and avoiding internal disputes, whereas others lack experience with institutionalized procedures, thus creating what might be described as archival chaos.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

I analyze seven mosque archives and three ‘private archives," which provide a unique insight into the practices of contracting and archiving nikah among Arab imams in Germany in the absence of a central Islamic authority. I draw attention to different ways of archiving nikahs by imams and the resulting problems that can be tackled by developing a professional system of creating and keeping records. The procedures surrounding nikah in Germany are based on private and therefore frequently unprofessional practices, which sometimes lead to unwanted outcomes, especially for women. A large number of imams in Germany would benefit from receiving help with professionalizing their nikah practices and setting up sound mosque administrations and professionally run archives.