Question:
Is there a sunnah prayer after marriage?
Answer:
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the many countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
There are several athar mentioning about sunnah prayer after marriage from the actions of the companions of the Prophet PBUH. However, it is not performed immediately after akad (marriage), but it is performed when a husband went to meet his wife inside their room. This prayer is performed together with the wife as the makmum. This is narrated by Ibn Abi Syaibah in his Musannaf, where a man came to consult with Abdullah bin Mas’ud RA, asking:
إِنِّي تَزَوَّجْتُ جَارِيَةً شَابَّةً، وَإِنِّي أَخَافُ أَنْ تَفْرَكَنِي قَالَ: فَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ: إِنَّ الْإِلْفَ مِنَ اللَّهِ، وَالْفَرْكَ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ، يُرِيدُ أَنْ يُكَرِّهَ إِلَيْكُمْ مَا أَحَلَّ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ، فَإِذَا أَتَتْكَ فَمُرْهَا أَنْ تُصَلِّيَ وَرَاءَكَ رَكْعَتَيْنِ.
“I have just married a virgin woman slave and I fear she might hate me. Abdullah bin Mas’ud said: Indeed, love and compassion come from Allah, and hatred comes from shaytan. He (shaytan) would put hatred in your hearts for the thing made permissible for you by Allah. If you came unto your wife, asked her to pray behind you for two rakaat.”
Narrated by Ibn Abi Syaibah in his Musannaf (17156)
In another athar by Abu Sa’id maula Abu Usaid al-Ansari:
تَزَوَّجْتُ وَأَنَا مَمْلُوكٌ , فَدَعَوْتُ نَفَرًا مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ - صلى الله عليه وسلم - فِيهِمْ ابْنُ مَسْعُودٍ وَأَبُو ذَرٍّ وَحُذَيْفَةُ - رضي الله عنهم - فَعَلَّمُونِي فَقَالُوا: إذَا أُدْخِلَ عَلَيْكَ أَهْلُكَ فَصَلِّ عَلَيْكَ رَكْعَتَيْنِ، ثُمَّ سَلْ اللهَ تَعَالَى مِنْ خَيْرِ مَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْكَ، وَتَعَوَّذْ بِهِ مِنْ شَرِّهِ، ثُمَّ شَأنَكَ وَشَأنَ أَهْلِكَ.
“I have just married but I am a slave. I asked the companions of the Prophet PBUH about it and among them are Ibn Mas’ud, Abu Dzar and Huzaifah R.Anhum. They answered: “If you went to see your wife, then perform two rakaat prayer and ask Allah SWT goodness and protection for your wife and then ask for you goodness for you and your wife.”
Narrated by Ibn Abi Syaibah in his Musannaf (17153)
According to the two athar above, some scholars ruled sunnah prayer after marriage as permissible. From the athar, the sunnah prayer is done when the husband went to meet his wife, or when he came unto his wife right after marriage. It is also permissible not to perform this sunnah prayer.
Other scholars encouraged newlyweds to perform this sunnah prayer, for it is the beginning of their new lives as husband and wife building their own Baiti Jannati (my home my paradise) together.
Wallahua’lam.