Source: Fatawa ‘Ilmiyyah, Volume 1, Kitab al-Salah, Page 469
❖ Question:
What is the Shar‘i ruling regarding the collective du‘ā made with raised hands at the end of a nikah ceremony? Additionally, which supplication is Sunnah for this occasion?
(Asked by: Muhammad Siddiq, Abbottabad)
✿ Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ʾammā baʿd!
✦ Ruling on the Common Practice of Collective Du‘ā After Nikah
◈ The modern custom of raising hands and making a collective du‘ā at the end of a nikah has no clear Shar‘i evidence.
◈ This practice did not exist during the time of the Prophet ﷺ or his companions in this specific form.
✦ The Prophetic Example
When ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʿAwf رضي الله عنه got married and the news reached the Prophet ﷺ, he simply said:
“بَارَكَ اللهُ لَكَ…”
“May Allah bless you…”
📚 (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 5155 – wording from Bukhārī, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1427, Dār al-Salām: 3490)
✔ This shows that the Prophet ﷺ made a concise supplication, not a raised-hand collective du‘ā.
✔ Similar du‘ās conveying the same blessings and goodwill are also recorded in authentic Hadith.
✦ Sunnah Du‘ās for Nikah
Among the du‘ās authentically narrated from the Prophet ﷺ for marriage is:
“بَارَكَ اللهُ لَكَ وَبَارَكَ عَلَيْكَ وَجَمَعَ بَيْنَكُمَا فِي خَيْرٍ“
“May Allah bless you, and shower blessings upon you, and unite you both in goodness.”
📚 Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 2130 (wording from Abī Dāwūd)
📚 Tirmidhī: 1091 – graded ḥasan ṣaḥīḥ
📚 Ibn Mājah: 1905 – authenticated by Ibn Ḥibbān, al-Ḥākim, and agreed upon by al-Dhahabī
✔ These du‘ās are authentically reported and should be followed, as they are superior to any invented methods.
✅ Summary:
❖ The commonly practiced collective du‘ā with raised hands after nikah is an innovated custom without Shar‘i basis.
❖ The Sunnah is to recite the authentic du‘ās mentioned above, which the Prophet ﷺ himself made on such occasions.
❖ These du‘ās of blessing suffice and are best in keeping with the Prophetic tradition.
ـــ ❖ ـــ
ھٰذَا مَا عِندِي وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَاب
