The Hausa are the largest ethnic group in Sub-Saharan Africa and the most populous ethnic group in Nigeria. They reside mostly in the northern part of the country known to them as Arewa which is loosely translated as Northern Nigeria. Thirty percent of all Hausa can be found in the north and northwest regions of Nigeria.

Marriage is very important in Hausa culture. One is seen as a fool or with underlying health challenges that are not publicly known if one does not get married at a certain age. Unlike in other culture, freedom with the opposite sex which could then lead to sexual contact is prohibited for members unless one is married.

The Hausa marriage rites and requirement is the most cost-effective, simplest and cheapest traditional marriage rites in Nigeria. It is based on Islamic Law otherwise known as Sharia Law since most of them are Muslims.

In the Hausa tradition, the man only provides a room while the bride’s family furnish it for them. It is believed in this culture that making marriage less expensive helps prevent adultery in the society.

Once a man and a woman have reached an agreement to get married with no physical contact between both parties including a handshake, then the following steps can be taken to are the steps needed to get married to the Hausa girl.

Na Gani Ina So Stage

Before this stage, the families of those intending to marry must have done heir own background check on the other to make sure they want to be associated with such family. Na Gani Ina So is the Hausa way of saying I have seen and I love it. At this stage, the groom to be family visits the bride to be family and make known the intention of their son wanting to marry their daughter known to the bride to be family. Gifts ranging from calabash, kolanut, fruits, etc are taken along to be given to the bride’s family. Acceptance of these gifts implies their acceptance of the proposal made by the groom’s family.

Courting Stage

Here the intending couple can formally be allowed to date and court each other. A lot of restrictions are placed most importantly the issue of physically contact. Except for your relation that you can’t get married to, you are restricted by law to touch a woman or vice versa in the Hausa culture. To effect that there is no physical contact, a small boy that is old enough to narrate what he sees and is innocent is attached to monitor what the intending couple do together. During this courting stage, they get to know each other and check if they are compatible. If they are compatible, then the traditional marriage rites continue. If they are incompatible, the marriage process is terminated there.

Gaisuwa And Sarana Stage

Gaisuwa means greeting and Sarana means date fixing in the Hausa language. At this stage, the bride price and the date for the wedding ceremony are fixed. The bride price (Sadaki) of a Hausa bride is cheap, usually according to Islamic law. It had a minimum price which is usually quarter kilogram of a gold piece (Rubu Dinar in Hausa). The bride price could be higher depending on the wealth of the two families. After the bride price has been agreed upon, the next stage is Sarana which is fixing a date for the wedding ceremony. The man and woman can be said to be engaged at this stage and there is still no form of sexual contact. All other male friends of the bride to be now knows she is engaged and backs off.

However, no other man comes for the woman and all her former boyfriends back off knowing she is now engaged and about to get married to someone else.

Wedding Ceremony (Aure)

This is the day that the bride and groom are pronounced Husband and Wife. What occurs on this day is the wedding ceremony known in Hausa as Aure. Things like Yau ne ranan auren (today is the wedding day) are said on this day by relatives. Some people refer to this as wedding fatiha. The bride will be decorated with Lalle (Kunshi) also known as Hienna, and jewelries and will remain indoor with her friends and older women on this day. Makeup will also be done for the bride

On the other hand, the males remain outside at the ground. The Sadaki (Bride price or dowry) is paid and declared for everyone to hear that the groom paid that amount as bride price to marry the bride. The bride’s family will accept the bride price and the Imam (Islamic leader) will pronounce the couple as Husband and Wife. This signifies the beginning of the union between the man and woman.

There is another important part of the marriage ceremony that is not a must called Walimah (Wedding Reception).

Walimah (Wedding Reception)

The walimah process is what is known as reception in English. Eating and drinking take place during this process. The bride is brought out and admonished (advised) by the elders and also the groom is equally advised during this process. After the couple have been advised, prayers and gifts are showered on them before departure.

In the evening, the bride is accompanied to her husband house by the elderly women in her friends presence. The elderly women carry with them all the bride properties to the husband house while singing. From the night of Walimah the couple can start having sexual contact henceforth.

The newly wedded bride is known as Amarya while the groom is known as Ango. This concludes how traditional marriage rites is done by the Hausas.