⭑ Sunnah of the Wedding Night: Two Rak‘ahs and the Prescribed Supplication ⭑
Taken from: Fatawa Arkan-e-Islam
⮚ Question
When a husband goes to his new wife on the wedding night, is there any Shar‘i ruling about performing two rak‘ahs of prayer at that time?
⮚ Answer
Alhamdulillah, peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.
- Some Companions رضي الله عنهم offered two rak‘ahs of prayer on the wedding night when they went to their new bride.
Reference: al-Musannaf by ‘Abd al-Razzaq (6/191) - However, there is no authentic Sunnah reported from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ specifically prescribing this act.
❀ Prescribed Sunnah when Meeting the Wife
It is legislated (mashrū‘) that the husband should place his hand on his wife’s forehead and say:
«اللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّی أَسْأَلُکَ خَيْرَهَا وَخَيْرَ مَا جَبَلْتَهَا عَلَيْهِ وَأَعُوذُ بِکَ مِنْ شَرِّهَا وَمِنْ شَرِّ مَا جَبَلْتَهَا عَلَيْهِ»
(Sunan Abi Dawud, Kitab al-Nikah, Bab fi Jami‘ al-Nikah, Hadith 2160)
“O Allah, I ask You for her goodness and the goodness upon which You have created her, and I seek refuge in You from her evil and the evil upon which You have created her.”
❀ If There is Fear the Wife May Feel Offended
- If there is concern that reciting this supplication aloud might make the wife upset, suspicious, or feel hurt, then it is better to:
- Place the hand on her forehead in a way that appears affectionate and intimate.
- Recite the supplication softly so she cannot hear it.
- The wisdom behind this is that when the man says: “I seek refuge in You from her evil…”, some women may misunderstand and think, “Does he believe there is evil in me?”
والله أعلم بالصواب
