The Sermon for Marriage

إِنَّ جَمَاعَةً مِنْ بَنِي أُمَيَّةَ فِي إِمَارَةِ عُثْمَانَ اجْتَمَعُوا فِي مَسْجِدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص فِي يَوْمِ جُمُعَةٍ وَ هُمْ يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يُزَوِّجُوا رَجُلًا مِنْهُمْ وَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع قَرِيبٌ مِنْهُمْ فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ هَلْ لَكُمْ أَنْ نُخْجِلَ عَلِيّاً السَّاعَةَ نَسْأَلُهُ أَنْ يَخْطُبَ بِنَا وَ نَتَكَلَّمُ فَإِنَّهُ يَخْجَلُ وَ يَعْيَا بِالْكَلَامِ‌[1] فَأَقْبَلُوا إِلَيْهِ فَقَالُوا

1. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from ibn Mahbub from ibn Ri’ab who has said the following: “Abu ‘ Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that one day a group of banu ‘Umayyah during the time of the government of ‘Uthman came together in Masjid of the Messenger of Allah, O Allah,

زَوَّجَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع امْرَأَةً مِنْ بَنِي عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ وَ كَانَ يَلِي أَمْرَهَا فَقَالَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْجَبَّارِ الْحَلِيمِ الْغَفَّارِ الْوَاحِدِ الْقَهَّارِ الْكَبِيرِ الْمُتَعَالِ‌ سَواءٌ مِنْكُمْ مَنْ أَسَرَّ الْقَوْلَ وَ مَنْ جَهَرَ بِهِ وَ مَنْ هُوَ مُسْتَخْفٍ بِاللَّيْلِ وَ سارِبٌ‌ بِالنَّهارِ[2] أَحْمَدُهُ وَ أَسْتَعِينُهُ وَ أُومِنُ بِهِ وَ أَتَوَكَّلُ عَلَيْهِ‌ وَ كَفى‌ بِ

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin once gave a woman from banu ‘ Abd al-Muttalib in marriage, solemnized her marriage and said, ‘All praise belongs to Allah, most Majestic, most Powerful, the Forbearing, the Forgiving, the one Dominant, the most Great, most High - no matter whatever anyone of you says

خَطَبَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع بِهَذِهِ الْخُطْبَةِ فَقَالَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ أَحْمَدُهُ وَ أَسْتَعِينُهُ وَ أَسْتَغْفِرُهُ وَ أَسْتَهْدِيهِ وَ أُومِنُ بِهِ وَ أَتَوَكَّلُ عَلَيْهِ وَ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً ص عَبْدُهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ أَرْسَلَهُ‌ بِالْهُدى‌ وَ دِينِ الْحَقِّ لِيُظْهِرَهُ عَلَى الدِّينِ كُلِّهِ* دَلِيلًا عَلَيْهِ وَ دَاعِياً إِلَيْهِ

3. Ahmad ibn ‘Isma’il ibn Mehran has said that narrated to us ‘Abd al-Malik ibn abu al-Harith from Jabir who has said the following: “Abu Ja‘far, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, once addressed with the following speech: ‘All praise belongs to Allah, I praise Him, beg assistance from

كَانَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع إِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يُزَوِّجَ قَالَ- الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ أَحْمَدُهُ وَ أَسْتَعِينُهُ وَ أُومِنُ بِهِ وَ أَتَوَكَّلُ عَلَيْهِ وَ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ أَرْسَلَهُ‌ بِالْهُدى‌ وَ دِينِ الْحَقِّ لِيُظْهِرَهُ عَلَى الدِّينِ كُلِّهِ وَ لَوْ كَرِهَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ* وَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آل

4. Ahmad ibn Muhammad has narrated from ibn al-‘Arzamiy from his father who has said the following: “When ’Amir al-Mu’minin, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, wanted to solemnize a marriage he would say, ‘All praise belongs to Allah, I praise Him, beg assistance from Him, believe in Him and place my trust with Him and I testify that n

أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ عَبْدٌ لَمْ يَعْبُدْ أَحَداً غَيْرَهُ اصْطَفَاهُ بِعِلْمِهِ وَ أَمِيناً عَلَى وَحْيِهِ وَ رَسُولًا إِلَى خَلْقِهِ فَصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَقَدْ سَمِعْنَا مَقَالَتَكُمْ وَ أَنْتُمُ الْأَحْيَاءُ الْأَقْرَبُونَ نَرْغَبُ فِي مُصَاهَرَتِكُمْ وَ نُسْعِفُكُمْ بِحَاجَتِكُمْ وَ نَضَنُّ بِإِخَائ

“Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), as response in Khutbah for marriage has said, ‘All praise belongs to Allah who chooses praise especially for Himself, glorified is thereby His mention and facilitated thereby is His command. We praise Him without any doubt in it; we see what we prepare in the hope for success and as key to its

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ ع يَخْطُبُ بِهَذِهِ الْخُطْبَةِ- الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الْعَالِمِ بِمَا هُوَ كَائِنٌ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ يَدِينَ لَهُ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ دَائِنٌ فَاطِرِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَ الْأَرْضِ مُؤَلِّفِ الْأَسْبَابِ بِمَا جَرَتْ بِهِ الْأَقْلَامُ وَ مَضَتْ بِهِ الْأَحْتَامُ مِنْ سَابِقِ عِلْمِهِ وَ مُقَدَّرِ حُكْمِهِ أَحْمَدُهُ عَلَى نِعَمِهِ وَ أَعُوذُ بِهِ مِنْ نِقَمِهِ وَ أَسْتَهْدِي اللَّهَ الْهُدَى وَ أَعُوذُ بِ

6. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Khalid from ‘Abd al-‘Azim ibn ‘Abd Allah who has said the following: “I heard abu al-Hassan, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, give the following as Khutbah (sermon) when solemnizing a marriage: ‘All praise belongs to Allah who knows what is to come into being be

خَطَبَ الرِّضَا ع هَذِهِ الْخُطْبَةَ- الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي حَمِدَ فِي الْكِتَابِ نَفْسَهُ وَ افْتَتَحَ بِالْحَمْدِ كِتَابَهُ وَ جَعَلَ الْحَمْدَ أَوَّلَ جَزَاءِ مَحَلِّ نِعْمَتِهِ وَ آخِرَ دَعْوَى أَهْلِ جَنَّتِهِ وَ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ شَهَادَةً أُخْلِصُهَا لَهُ وَ أَدَّخِرُهَا عِنْدَهُ وَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ خَاتَمِ النُّبُوَّةِ وَ خَيْرِ الْبَرِيَّةِ وَ

7. Ahmad ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘awiyah ibn Hakim who has said the following: “Al-Rida’, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, once read the following as Khutbah (sermon) when solemnizing a marriage: ‘All praise belongs to Allah who has praised Himself in the book and has opened His book with it, has made it the first reward of

كَانَ الرِّضَا ع يَخْطُبُ فِي النِّكَاحِ- الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ إِجْلَالًا لِقُدْرَتِهِ وَ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ خُضُوعاً لِعِزَّتِهِ وَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِهِ عِنْدَ ذِكْرِهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ‌ خَلَقَ مِنَ الْماءِ بَشَراً فَجَعَلَهُ نَسَباً وَ صِهْراً إِلَى آخِرِ الْآيَةِ.

'All praise is due to Allah, in reverence of His power; there is no deity but Allah, in submission to His might; and may Allah send blessings upon Muhammad and his family when His name is mentioned. Indeed, Allah created mankind from water and made them kin and by marriage, up to the end of the verse.'"

لَمَّا أَرَادَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص أَنْ يَتَزَوَّجَ خَدِيجَةَ بِنْتَ خُوَيْلِدٍ أَقْبَلَ أَبُو طَالِبٍ فِي أَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ وَ مَعَهُ نَفَرٌ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ حَتَّى دَخَلَ عَلَى وَرَقَةَ بْنِ نَوْفَلٍ عَمِّ خَدِيجَةَ فَابْتَدَأَ أَبُو طَالِبٍ بِالْكَلَامِ فَقَالَ الْحَمْدُ لِرَبِّ هَذَا الْبَيْتِ الَّذِي جَعَلَنَا مِنْ زَرْعِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَ ذُرِّيَّةِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ وَ أَنْزَلَنَا حَرَماً آمِناً وَ جَعَلَنَا الْحُكَّامَ عَل

9. Certain persons of our people have narrated from Ali ibn al-Husayn from Ali ibn Hassan from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Kathir who has said the following: “When the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, decided to marry Khadijah daughter of Khuwayli