Two witnesses are required for the Sunni nikah ceremony, but no witnesses are required for divorces or talaqs. A Shia ceremony does not require two witnesses to be present at the time of nikah. Instead, the Quran must be recited, whereas it is not mandatory to recite six kalmias in a Sunni wedding ceremony. The Shia nikah ceremony lasts for a longer period of time than the Sunni nikah ceremony. Shia nikah ceremonies require couples to perform a ghusl (bath) according to a specific procedure, whereas Sunni nikah ceremonies do not. Upon completion of these two steps, the rest of the ceremony process is nearly the same. Shias are also forbidden from marrying non-monotheistic women and do not seek permission from authorities before entering into marriage. It is only possible for a Muslim woman to marry a Muslim man.
The Shi’a also believe in temporary marriages or Nikah al-Mut’ah, while Sunnis do not believe in such a fixed-term nikah or marriage. During the Mut*ah nikah ceremony, a contract of marriage is formed between the man and the woman. Once the contract expires, the fixed-term nikah or marriage dissolves automatically. How long the Mut`ah nikah may last is up to the consent of the man and the woman. The date of expiration is also written on the nikah form. Mut`ah marriage can be turned into a permanent marriage at any time. Within this marriage contract, there is no need for divorce.
Sunnis on the other hand have another form of nikah or marriage contract that is called Nikah ul Misyar. It is also a non-traditional temporary marriage or nikah contract, but it is not exactly the same as Mut`ah. Both Sunni and Shia Muslims are divided over Nikah al Mut’ah and Nikah e Misyar. These practices and rituals are condemned by both Sunni and Shia Muslims.
