Preparing for My Nikah as a New Muslimah
As-salamu alaykum dear sisters, I'm a recent revert, so please forgive me if my questions seem a bit basic or silly-I really just need some guidance. Any recommendations for books, online resources, or videos tailored for women would mean a lot. I was Christian when I married my Muslim husband, so we didn’t have a nikah ceremony at that time. Since we have a long-distance marriage, I’ve been learning about Islam while apart, and now we’re planning to have our nikah when we’re together next. My husband gets a bit impatient with my many questions (I tend to ask a lot because of my anxiety, ADHD, and my background as an anthropologist). So I’m hoping someone here can help or point me toward the right info. 1) I don’t speak Arabic-are there parts of the nikah I need to say in Arabic? Or anything else I should be prepared to say? I’m curious about how the ceremony flows since I know Christian weddings have vows and steps. 2) Since I was raised Christian, I might not have family or guests attending. I heard women need a wali (guardian) or witnesses-do I still need that if we’re technically already married and I’m the first Muslim in my family? 3) Should I do any special prayers or preparations before the nikah? Our ceremony will be during or just after Ramadan, but I’m still learning how to pray regularly, so I hope this isn’t a silly question. 4) My husband’s parents don’t accept me because I’m not from their culture or background. Would it be okay to include conditions in the nikah like "me and any children will be treated with respect by family" and "before he can arrange a marriage to a second wife, the new bride must be informed about me as his first wife and accept that"? Are there limits on what conditions I can set? Should I include anything else? 5) Is there a specific way or color I should dress for the nikah? I plan to dress modestly, but is there a particular style of hijab or outfit recommended? Jazakum Allahu khairan for any advice. I hope this is the right place to ask, and I appreciate hearing from other Muslim women. Our nikah will likely be near Dubai if that matters. BarakAllahu feekum.