The message from Khutbatun Nikah (Marriage sermon)of

Muhammad (pbuh)

By Br. Muhammad I. Anjum

The messenger of Allah Muhammad (pbuh) used to recite the following three verses of the Qur’an after praising Allah, seeking His help and guidance during marriage ceremony, and declaring the fundamental belief that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammad is His servant and messenger. 

1. “Oh  believers! fear Allah as He should be feared and die not except in a state of Islam” (3:102) 

2. “Oh  mankind! fear your Lord, Who created you of a single person, and of the same created his mate, and from them spread countless men and women over the earth.  Fear that Allah in Whose name you demand your mutual rights, and abstain from violating relations between kinsfolk; note it well that Allah is watching you very closely”. (4:1) 

3. “Oh  believers! fear Allah, and say the right thing: Allah will adorn your deeds and will overlook your errors. Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has indeed attained  a great success”. (33:70-71) 

Message from these verses:

1.1 ‘Taqwa’ is the repeatedly used term in these verses. It cannot be translated in any other language with its full meanings and concepts. It is translated commonly as fear of Allah, piety, stay away from evils, and mindfulness of Allah, which means consciously following Allah’s guidance in every day life.

1.2 ‘Haqqa tuqatehee’ Perfect ‘taqwa’ is that, you should be conscious of all other sins (just as you are conscious of  ‘Kufr’ and ‘Shirk’) in your relationship and conduct with others.

1.3 This condition should be maintained throughout one’s life and in every action. Since death is very uncertain, you shouldn’t fall in disobedience of Allah and violation of others’ rights even for a moment

1.4 It is difficult to fear Allah as He should be feared, so He (in His infinite mercy) revealed another verse ‘Ittaqullaha mastata`tum’ (fear Allah as much as you can).

1.5 Islam and Taqwa have the same meanings i.e. complete obedience to Allah and His Messenger Muhammad (pbuh) and avoiding Their disobedience

2.1 This verse “Oh mankind fear Allah Who created you of a single person and...” addresses all human beings

2.2 All men and women are from a single soul ‘Aadam’. By expressing this equality and oneness of human beings, Allah neutralizes the gender issue

2.3 Fear Allah and be conscious of the fact that He is the  sole provider of all your necessities (Rabb) and your Creator.

2.4 Taqwa – Strive to fear Allah by Whose name you claim your rights. It is also very important to respect and honor others’ rights

2.5 Beware of kinship rights on you. Any anger or pleasure should not prevent you from performing your responsibilities towards them

2.6 Another reason for striving to acquire His taqwa is that He is watching not only all your actions but also the intentions behind them. Therefore, purify your intentions before and after performing each of your daily duties.

3.1 One of the clear signs  of Taqwa is for someone to always speak the truth. Nothing should be hidden and wrongful in one’s speech, which is a characteristic of hypocrites...

3.2 The impact of  being rightly speaking  is that Allah  will embellish your affairs and won’t leave you alone in evils

3.3 Another reward of being truthful is that He will forgive your shortcomings and sins

3.4 It isn’t an achievement to conceive the facts, or fearlessly cheat others; rather, obeying Allah and His Messenger and opposing your ego’s will is the greatest success

3.5 This success is not confined to the Day of Judgment alone.  It starts from this worldly life. Afterwards, Allah wants us to pray to Him for the good in this life as well as that of the life-hereafter.

Reciting these verses on auspicious occasion of happiness is an appropriate advice (tafseer) not only for brides and grooms but for all audience and listeners. It is the solution for all of our collective and individual problems. Marriage is addition of a new family unit in the society. Islam wants  to embrace in the establishment of this primary family unit, the following beliefs:

1) Taqwa- Allah knows all one’s actions and intentions,

2) Gratefulness- admission of His blessings. Having a good spouse itself is a great bounty of Allah

3) Awareness of responsibilities- towards the spouse, kinship relations, and the rest of the society.

If a family unit is  built on these three considerations from the very first day, it will surely lead towards a cheerful and problem-free life. It will also be a blessing and a source of guidance for  the society.

Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (pbuh), declared  marriage as a great source of goodness and an accomplishment of the requirements of nature. Insisting on Taqwa indicates that marriage is not only for an enjoyment but it also puts a couple in more responsible state and frame of mind. Now this couple is more secured and strengthened (Mohsin), by having the mutual love, care, and being attentive to each other. Now Shaitan cannot misguide them until they throw away the garment of Taqwa. The most pleasant thing for Shaitan is a serious issue between husband and wife and an absence of Taqwa makes it easier for  Shaitan to accomplish  his task.