Guide

Nikah invitation wording

The lines a nikah invitation carries, the order they go in, and five you can copy.

What a nikah invitation says

A nikah invitation is short and formal, and nearly every one follows the same order. The Bismillah comes first, or the 786 that many families print in its place. Then whoever is inviting. In most Indian families the bride's parents host the nikah and send its card, and the groom's parents host the walima; a joint card from both families is also seen, especially in the cities, and a card from the couple themselves is a newer, urban form. Then the two names, with the parents' names beside them so that older guests can place the families. Then the word for the occasion, the date, the time, which is often given by the prayer, the venue, and a closing dua. Inshallah sits near the date, because the date is in God's hands.

The walima is the groom's family's feast after the nikah. Some families put it on the same card as a second function; many send it separately. If it is on the same card, it gets its own date, time and venue, never a vague "to follow".

How the names are written

On a card from the bride's parents the daughter is named first: "the Nikah of their daughter Ayesha with Imran, son of Janab Rashid Qureshi". On a joint card the order varies; either way, both families get the same courtesy. Name the hosting parents so that older guests can place the families. Many families print only the father, or "Janab Rashid Qureshi & family", and do not print women's names at all; that is a common and accepted convention, not an omission, so follow your family's practice.

Men take "Janab", or "Janab ... Sahab"; a father who has performed Hajj is "Alhaj" or "Haji"; Maulana, Hafiz, Qari, Mufti and Syed go before the name. Women's names, where printed, take "Mohtarma" or "Begum". "Mr. and Mrs." is common where the family prefers English. A departed parent is "Marhoom" for a father and "Marhooma" for a mother, or simply "Late"; both appear on real cards. Titles like Dr. or Advocate go before the name once, and are not repeated in the WhatsApp message.

Wording you can copy

Small things that matter

• The Bismillah is the first line, always, on its own. Many families print 786 at the top instead, the traditional stand-in for it; some families, and some scholars, avoid 786 and print the Bismillah itself. Follow your family's practice. Some families write "In Sha Allah" as three words; both forms are used.
• Name the hosting parents. Many families print only the father, or "& family", and do not print women's names; that is a convention, not a gap.
• Cards often time the nikah by the prayer: after Asr, after Maghrib, after Isha, or after Jumma, with or without a clock time. If the nikah is at a mosque, name the masjid; some cards name the qazi.
• Most Indian cards print only the Gregorian date. A Hijri date is a respected addition, not the norm; if you print it, it follows the sighting of the moon, so give the expected date and let the family confirm it as the day nears. Saudi and tabular calendars usually run a day ahead of the Indian date. A nikah in Ramadan is permissible, and some families sign the contract then and hold the walima after Eid; many choose Shawwal, the month after, following the sunnah.
• If men and women are seated separately or arrive at different times, say so plainly on the card, not in a follow-up message.
• Cards rarely ask a yes-or-no question, but an R.S.V.P. block with one or two names and phone numbers is normal and expected. Print the names and numbers; do not turn it into a reply form. Where no gifts are wanted, cards print "(Blessings only)".
• A verse many couples choose is Surah Ar-Rum 30:21: "And among His signs is that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has placed affection and mercy between you." Print the fuller line, and the Arabic above it if there is room. Our Muslim cards carry it in ten languages.
• A common closing is the sunnah congratulation for the newly married, printed in Arabic with its meaning: Barakallahu laka wa baraka alaika wa jama'a baynakuma fi khayr, "May Allah bless you, shower His blessings upon you, and join you together in goodness".
• Shia and Bohra families follow their own card conventions; the samples here reflect the most common Sunni, South Asian form.

The card that fits

Mehraab has the Bismillah, both calendars and the verse built in, and its doors open on the names. Sitara and Chiraghaan carry the same wording in a different room.

Make it with Mehraab See it first

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