Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalaam Alaikum WRWB

Burhan Bhai, I know that Wedding Anniversary is not a concept in Islam. But if I pray 2-rakaat Shukrana Namaaz every year on my wedding date, to thank ALLAH (SWT) for HIS abundant Blessings in our marriage (in present & Insha’Allah in future), then will that be considered as biddat?

Kindly advise… Jazak Allahu Khairan!

ALLAH Hafiz

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Answer:

Pray 2 rakah at wedding anniversary

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: ….I know that Wedding Anniversary is not a concept in Islam. But if I pray 2-rakaat Shukrana Namaaz every year on my wedding date, to thank ALLAH (SWT) for HIS abundant Blessings in our marriage (in present & Insha’Allah in future), then will that be considered as biddat?

A bida or innovation is something which is invented, innovated, and added to the deen of Islam after the deen was completed on Prophet Mohamed (saws). It especially concerns the rites and rituals of worship, or any deed which was not performed or endorsed by the Messenger of Allah (saws), but was added as a part of the deen after his (saws’s) death. It also concerns any innovated deed which one does and believes that by doing this innovated deed, he is eligible to earn more reward from Allah Subhanah.

Respected sister, to the best of our knowledge, there is absolutely nothing in the authentic and established Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) whereby he himself offered, or guided his companions to offer a two-rakah prayer of gratefulness on the anniversary of their marriages!

Instead of waiting one day of the year to offer your prayers of gratefulness unto your Lord Most Gracious, would it not be better sister, if you offered your thanks unto Him for His innumerable favors every day or whenever and as often as you wished?

If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of being led astray.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan