Question:
Suppose we are invited to a wedding, and at the entrance of the wedding hall banana trees are placed, and the bride and groom wear garlands. Since these practices exist in other religious cultures, should the wedding be boycotted?
Answer:
This question arises from a misunderstanding of the concept of “imitation of other religions.”
Many people misuse this concept. They assume that anything done by people of another religion automatically becomes their religious culture. But that is not correct.
For something to be considered a religious practice of another religion, it must be explicitly taught in that religion’s scriptures or rituals as part of worship or religious belief. If it is simply a cultural habit, clothing style, food habit, or social custom, then it cannot automatically be labeled as a religious practice.
For example, wearing a dhoti is common among non-Muslims in India. But is wearing a dhoti a Hindu religious practice? No. It is simply a style of clothing.
Similarly, wearing pants originated in Western societies, many of whose people were Christians. But that does not make pants a Christian religious practice. The same applies to many hairstyles or foods that spread from one culture to another.
Now consider the examples mentioned in the question.
Garlands: A garland is simply a decorative ornament made of flowers. It is used as a form of decoration. It is not prescribed in any Hindu scripture as a religious ritual for marriage. Even atheists sometimes exchange garlands during wedding ceremonies.
Banana trees: In some parts of South India, banana trees are placed at the entrance of wedding halls. This practice is based on a cultural symbolism: the banana plant produces new shoots and continues growing, so people consider it a symbol of continuity and prosperity for the new family.
But this belief is merely a cultural notion or superstition. It is not found in the Vedas, Upanishads, Dharma Shastras, or other Hindu scriptures as a required religious ritual.
In fact, if it were truly a Hindu religious requirement, then all Hindus across India would practice it. But in many northern regions—such as Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Punjab, and Haryana—banana trees are not placed at weddings at all.
Therefore, it cannot be classified as a religious ritual.
So, such practices should be understood as local cultural customs, not religious acts of worship.
Boycotting a wedding becomes necessary only when clearly prohibited activities are present—such as immoral entertainment, dancing, alcohol, or other actions that Islam forbids. But decorations like garlands or banana trees do not fall under that category.
Therefore, attending such a wedding is permissible, and these customs alone are not sufficient reasons to boycott it.