The Nikkah Ceremeny
What is a Nikkah?
Just as a civil wedding is the ceremony that records and formally notes the transition from two single people to a married couple with the eyes of the law of the land, the Nikkah fulfils the same function within the Islamic faith.
The ceremony itself does not take long. At the very least a matter of minutes but it can take up to 20 minutes (or longer) if the couple or family desire. We have decided to have a shortened ceremony but ask that we spend a little more time with family and friends joining us in prayer that our lives together are filled with happiness, contentment, and the ability to serve one another, our families, friends and those in need.
Does the Nikkah have to be performed in a mosque?
No. It is preferential for the ceremony to be performed in a mosque, but it can be performed anywhere.
Who performs the ceremony?
We have asked our dear friend Asim Hafeez to perform our ceremony. While we know Asim's day job keeps him busy, he is also a qualified Imam (Islamic equivalent to Priest) and a marriage councillor with over 300 clients.
Is the bride given away?
There is no formal 'giving away ceremony' but there is an implicit 'giving away' from the bride's father, brother, uncle or relative to the groom.
Do you have witnesses and how many?
While all our guests will be witnesses to our marriage, Lord Patel of Blackburn and my younger brother Ali Azam have agreed to be our formal witnesses.
Do we have to perform a Civil Wedding?
Yes. We will be performing our Civil Wedding ceremony in October. Our mothers, Pauline and Shahadh, and our younger brothers Dave and Usman have agreed to be our witnesses.
The Nikkah Ceremony Recitation
As we said the length of the Nikkah ceremony can vary from a matter of minutes up to 20 minutes. The basic elements are as follows:
Verily ALL Praise be to Allaah, we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allaah guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allaah leaves astray, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allaah, the One, having no partner. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.
Arabic Transliteration: Innal hamdulillah nahmaduhu wa nasta’eenahu wa nastaghfiruhu, wa na’oodhu billaahi min shuroori anfusinaa wa min sayi’aati a’maalinaa. Man yahdih Illaahu falaa mudilla lahu wa man yudlil falaa haadiya lahu. Wa ashhadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu la sharika lahu wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasooluhu sallalahu alayhi wa ala alihi wasallam wa ba’ad.
The following four verses of the Quran are then recited
- 1. Al-Imran (The Family of Imran)
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3:102 O ye who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam.
Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo ittaqoo Allaha haqqa tuqatihi wala tamootunna illa waantum muslimoona
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ اللّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلاَ تَمُوتُنَّ إِلاَّ وَأَنتُم
(3:102) مُّسْلِمُونَ
- 2. An-Nisa (The Women)
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4:1 O mankind! reverence your Guardian-Lord, who created you from a single person, created, of like nature, His mate, and from them twain scattered (like seeds) countless men and women;- reverence Allah, through whom ye demand your mutual (rights), and (reverence) the wombs (That bore you): for Allah ever watches over you.
Ya ayyuha alnnasu ittaqoo rabbakumu allathee khalaqakum min nafsin wahidatin wakhalaqa minha zawjaha wabaththa minhuma rijalan katheeran wanisaan waittaqoo Allaha allathee tasaaloona bihi waalarhama inna Allaha kana AAalaykum raqeeban
َا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُواْ رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ
وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالاً كَثِيرًا وَنِسَاء وَاتَّقُواْ
اللّهَ الَّذِي تَسَاءلُونَ بِهِ وَالأَرْحَامَ إِنَّ اللّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًا
- 3. Al-Ahzab (The Confederates)
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33:70 O ye who believe! Fear Allah, and (always) say a word directed to the Right:
Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo ittaqoo Allaha waqooloo qawlan sadeedan
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَقُولُوا قَوْلًا سَدِيدًا
- 4. Al-Ahzab (The Confederates)
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33:71 That He may make your conduct whole and sound and forgive you your sins: He that obeys Allah and His Messenger, has already attained the highest achievement.
Yuslih lakum aAAmalakum wayaghfir lakum thunoobakum waman yutiAAi Allaha warasoolahu faqad faza fawzan AAatheeman
يُصْلِحْ لَكُمْ أَعْمَالَكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَمَن يُطِعْ اللَّهَ
(33:71) وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا
The Post Nikkah Prayers
Once the nikkah ceremony is completed, the following prayer will be read:
May Allah bless you for each other and bless you both and join between in goodness.
Arabic Transliteration: Baraka Allahu lakuma wa alaykuma wa jama'a baynakuma fi khayr