Filipino Wedding Glossary › Akad
Akad
Pronunciation: AH-kahd
Origin: Arabic and Malay, the contract or solemnization phase within the Nikah
The solemnization phase of the Nikah where vows are exchanged and the contract becomes binding.
Akad refers to the contract phase of the Nikah, the moment the marriage becomes binding. Vows are exchanged, the mahr is named, and witnesses sign.
The term is widely used across Southeast Asian Muslim communities, including in the Philippines, often interchangeably with the Arabic ijab-qabul (offer and acceptance).
Akad is the legal and spiritual core of the Nikah; everything else (the Walima feast, decor, attire) is celebratory framing around it.