The Sermon of the Contract of Zahra (s.a.)

After the trousseau had been bought, the Prophet (a.s) invited a group of al-Muhajireen and of the Ansar to attend the meeting of the contract of marriage. When they were present before him, he (a.s) made the sermon of marriage saying:

“Praise belongs to Allah. He is praised for His bounties, worshipped for His might, obeyed for His sovereignty, and feared for His chastisement and punishment. His commands pervade in His heaven and His earth. He has created the creatures through His might, distinguished them through his laws, made them dear through His religion, and honored them through His Prophet Muhammad (a.s). Surely Allah, Holy is His name and Exalted is His might, has made relationship by marriage as a following reason and an imposed command through which He has entwined relationships and made obligatory on mankind. Allah, the Almighty, has said: ‘And He it is Who has created man from the water, then He has made for him blood relationship and marriage relationship, and your Lord is powerful.’[1] Allah’s command heads for His acts, and His acts head for His decree. There is a decree for every act, a fixed term for every decree, and a book for every fixed term. And Allah makes to pass away and establishes what He pleases, and with Him is the basis of the Book.[2] Then Allah, the Great and Almighty, has ordered me to marry Fatima to Ali and to call you to witness that I have married Fatima to Ali for four hundred weights of silver if he is satisfied with that according to the standing law and the obligatory duty. May Allah reunite and bless them, make good their children, make their children as keys of mercy and sources of wisdom, and security for the community! I say this and ask Allah’s forgiveness for me and you!”

Imam Ali was not present in the meeting for the Prophet (a.s) had sent him to carry out something. When the sermon of the contract was over, Imam Ali, the Commander of the faithful, came in to the Prophet (a.s). When the Prophet (a.s) saw Imam ali, he smiled at him and: “O Ali, Allah has commanded me to marry Fatima to you. So I have married her to you for four hundred weights of silver.” “I have accepted (that),” retorted the Commander of the faithful. Then he (a.s) fell down in prostration before Allah and thanked Him. When he raised his head from the prostration, the Prophet (a.s) said: “May Allah bless you both, make you happy, and bring forth from you many, good children”[3]

Then the Prophet (a.s) ordered a container full of dates to be offered to those invited and said to them: “Help yourselves!” Having finished eating, they wished the bride and the bridegroom happiness, bliss, and good children, and then they went away.[4]

Notes:

[1] Qur’an, 25, 54.

[2] Ibid., 13, 39.

[3] Noor al-Absar, p. 42. The narration has been mentioned in a little bit difference in the books al-Riyad al-Nadira, vol. 2, p. 183, Dhakha’ir al-Uqba, p. 29.

[4] Dhakha’ir al-Uqba, p. 30. Al-Riyad al-Nadira, vol. 2, p. 181

Adapted from: "The Life of Imam al-Hasan al-Mujtaba (a.s.)" by: "Ayatullah Kashif al-Ghita"