Wedding Night: Islam's First Union

The wedding night is a significant event in a couple's life together, and in Islam, it is considered sacred. While there are no specific requirements for the first night, there are several recommended practices and rituals that are considered sunnah.

When the bride enters the room, the groom is advised to remove her shoes, wash her feet, and sprinkle the water around the room. The groom should then perform wuzu and pray two rak'at sunnat prayers, followed by a specific du'a. The bride may also recite a du'a seeking blessings and protection from Allah.

It is also recommended to offer gifts, share refreshments, and engage in light-hearted conversation to make the bride feel comfortable and welcomed.

While intercourse is not obligatory on the first night, if both spouses are willing and ready, it is permissible. Foreplay is highly recommended, and the husband should be gentle and considerate of his wife's comfort and feelings.

Overall, the wedding night is about fostering a loving and harmonious relationship, seeking Allah's pleasure and blessings, and creating lasting memories together.

Praying 2 raka'ahs nafl together

On their wedding night, the bride and groom are encouraged to take wudu (ablution) and perform 2 raka'ahs nafl salah together. The husband should lead the prayer. The goal of this prayer is to seek refuge for their marriage from the devil and to seek the pleasure of Allah for their relationship.

After the prayer, the couple can recite a dua, a prayer asking Allah to bless their marriage. The groom should place his hand on his wife's forehead and recite:

> "O Allah, verily I ask You for her good and the good of what You have created in her, and I seek refuge with You from her evil and the evil of what You have created in her."

The dua can be recited before or after the 2 raka'ahs nafl, and at any time on the wedding night, but it is best recommended shortly after the Aqd Nikkah.

It is important to note that the 2 raka'ahs nafl should not be prayed during the makrooh time. This is the time after the Asr prayer until the sun has set.

Groom washes bride's feet

The washing of the bride's feet by the groom is a significant ritual in Islamic wedding traditions. This act, known as the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet, carries profound spiritual and symbolic significance, setting the tone for the couple's married life together.

The groom begins by removing the bride's shoes, a gesture that signifies her transition into a new phase of life as she leaves her past behind and enters the groom's home. This act of uncovering the bride's feet is imbued with respect and care, helping to soothe any apprehensions she may have.

Then, the groom proceeds to wash his bride's feet with water. This humble act symbolises the groom's devotion, humility, and willingness to serve his bride. It instils a sense of confidence and belonging in the bride, who has likely just parted ways with her family and embarked on a new journey with her spouse.

The water used for the foot washing ritual holds special significance. According to Islamic beliefs, the groom should sprinkle this water in the four corners of the room and house. Imam Ali teaches that this act brings seventy kinds of blessings and protects against seventy kinds of miseries. Furthermore, it is believed that Allāh (SwT) will remove 70,000 types of poverty, replace them with 70,000 types of blessings, and bestow 70,000 blessings upon the bride and groom. The bride is also believed to be safeguarded from insanity, ulcers, and leprosy.

The groom washing the bride's feet is more than just a symbolic act of love and respect; it is a powerful demonstration of the groom's commitment to support and care for his bride throughout their married life. It sets a precedent for the couple's dynamic, where both spouses honour and serve each other, treating one another as equals.

Groom recites dua for acceptance of bride

On the first night of marriage, when in seclusion with his wife, the groom holds the forelocks of her hair and recites the following dua:

> Allaahumma innii as-aluka khaira haa wa khairaa maa jabaltahaa ‘Alayh wa a’UUzhu bika min sharri haa wa sharri maa jabaltahaa ‘Alayh

'O Allaah, I ask You for the goodness within her and the goodness that you have made her inclined towards, and I take refuge with You from the evil within her and the evil that you have made her inclined towards.' (Abu Dawood, ibn Maajah)

The groom may also recite:

> Baarakallaahu laka, wa baaraka ‘alayka, wa jama’a baynakumaa fee khayrin

'May Allah bless you, and shower His blessings upon you, and join you together in goodness.' (Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah and At-Tirmidhi)

This dua is also recited by the Imam or another religious leader during the wedding ceremony.

Bride recites dua for acceptance of groom

The following are some recommended actions for the bride on her wedding night:

• The bride should perform wuḍū, the Islamic procedure for cleansing parts of the body, for as much of the night as possible, especially during the amāls.
• The bride should begin by praising Allah, then say Allāhu Akbar, followed by a ṣalawāt.
• The bride should recite a two-rak'at ṣalāt, with the intention of 'Mustaḥab Qurbatan IlAllāh' (a recommended prayer, seeking the pleasure of Allah), followed by a ṣalawāt.
• The bride should recite the following du'ā, followed by a ṣalawāt:

> 'Ilāhī Amīn [May Allah accept this].

>

> 'Allāhumma arzuqnī ilfaha wa wuddaha wa riḍāhā wa radhdhini bihā thumma ajma'a baynānā bi'ahsan ijtimā'in wa asra'i i'tilāfin fa'innaka tuhibbu'l-ḥalāla wa takrahu'l-ḥarāma.'

>

> 'O Allah! Bless me with her affection, love and her acceptance of me; and make me pleased with her, and bring us together in the best form of a union and in absolute harmony; surely You like lawful things and dislike unlawful things.'

The bride should say 'Ilāhī Amīn' after the groom recites the following du'ā:

> 'Allāhumma bi'amānika 'akhadhthū wa bi'kalimātika 'istahallahū fain qaḍaita lī minhā waladan faj'alhu mubārakāan taqiyyāan min shi'at 'Āli Muḥammadin wa lā taj'al lishshayṭāni fīhi shirkan wa lā naṣīban.'

>

> 'O Allah! I have taken her as Your trust and have made her lawful for myself by Your words. Therefore, if You have decreed for me a child from her, then make him/her blessed and pious from among the followers of the family of Muhammad; and do not let the Satan have any part in him/her.'

The bride should say 'Ilāhī Amīn' after the groom recites the following du'ā:

> 'Allāhumma bikalamātika 'istahallahū wa bi'amānika 'akhadhthū. Allāhumma aj'alhā walūdan wauddāan lā tafraku takulu mimmā rāḥa wa lā tas'alu 'ammā sarraha.'

>

> 'O Allah! I have made her lawful for myself with Your words, and I have taken her in Your trust. O Allah! Make her fertile and devoted.'

In addition to the above, there are numerous du'as that can be recited to find a suitable spouse. For example, according to Biharul Anwar, if a grown-up boy or girl is not receiving any offers of marriage, they can recite the following du'a 100 times daily for 40 consecutive days after any obligatory salat:

> 'Make easy (my difficulties), by Your superabundant favours, O the Most Mighty.'

Furthermore, the Prophet is said to have congratulated a man on his marriage with the following words:

> 'May Allah bless for you, and may He bless on you, and combine both of you in good (works).'

Groom gives gift to bride

In Islam, the groom is obliged to give the bride a wedding gift called a "mahr". This gift is a token of the groom's sincerity and warmth towards his bride and is meant to show his appreciation for her. While the mahr is often symbolic, in many cultures, the groom gives substantial amounts of money, land, or jewellery to the bride. According to Islamic law, the mahr becomes the wife's property and cannot be taken from her.

On the wedding night, the groom should wash the bride's feet and sprinkle the water in all four corners of the room and house. This act is said to bring 70,000 types of blessings upon the couple and their home, while also removing 70,000 types of poverty and protecting the bride from insanity, ulcers, and leprosy.

Before consummating the marriage, the groom should place his right palm on the bride's forehead, facing the Qibla, and recite the following prayer:

> O Allāh! I have taken her as Your trust and have made her lawful for myself by Your words. Therefore, if you have decreed for me a child from her, then make him/her blessed and pious from among the followers of the family of Muĥammad; and do not let Satan have any part in him/her.

The groom should also perform wuzu and pray a two-rakat sunnat prayer before reciting the following dua:

> O Allāh! Bless me with her affection, love and her acceptance of me; and make me pleased with her, and bring us together in the best form of a union and in absolute harmony; surely You like lawful things and dislike unlawful things.

After this, the bride should also be asked to perform wuzu and pray a two-rakat sunnat prayer.

Frequently asked questions