Placing the Hand on the Bride’s Head then Supplicating for Her
By the
Muhaddith, Shaykh, Allamaa’
Muhammad Nasir uddeen al-Albaani
Translated by
Abbas Abu Yahya
Muhammad Nasir- Deen Al-Albaani (d.1420A.H) -Rahimullaah- said:
‘It is required for the groom to place his hand on the forehead of his bride before consummating the marriage or even before that, and for him to mention the name of Allaah –Tabaraka wa Ta’ala- [say Bismillaah] and supplicate for blessings, and then to say what is mentioned in the statement of the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam:
‘If one of you marries a woman or buys a servant, then he should hold her forelock and mention the name of Allaah –Azza wa Jal- and supplicate for blessings, and then say: ‘O Allaah I ask You for the good from her and the good of her natural disposition, and I seek refuge in You from the evil in her and the evil of her natural disposition.’
Meaning that which You created her upon and her nature.
And if you buy a camel, then hold the hump, and you say the same thing.
Bukhari collected this narration in ‘Afa’al al-Eebaad’, Abu Dawood, Ibn Majah, hakim and al-Bayhaqi with a Hasan Isnad and Hakim authenticated it, Dhahabi agreed with him. Al-Hafidh al-Iraqi said in the ‘Takhreej al-Ihyaa’ that its Isnad was Jayyid (good).
And in this hadeeth there is evidence that Allaah is the Creator of good and evil, in contrast to what those from the Mua’tazilah (those who rely upon the intellect) and others say, that evil is not created by Allaah –Tabaraka wa Ta’ala. The fact that Allaah created evil does not negate that Allaah –Ta’ala- is perfect, rather this is from Allaah’s Perfection – Tabaraka wa Ta’ala.
Is it permissible to say this supplication if you buy a car for example?
The Shaykh said my answer is: Yes, since what is hoped from its good, and what is feared from its evil.’
[From: ‘Adab az-Zafaf’ p.20-21]