To pray for a marriage is to ask that two people become, each for the other, a gift of grace. That is the first thing ‘Abdu’l-Bahá asks for a newly married couple, and from it the rest unfolds: that they be one body, one soul and one heart, mingling like water and wine, like honey and milk; that they grow day by day in the degrees of the spirit; that their union bear children who remember God and become a household whose harmony lights up the horizons around it. Two doves singing on the branches of the Tree of Life are meant to move everyone who hears them. Some of these prayers carry the histories of particular couples, an orphan bride raised under the shelter of the Covenant, a husband reared in the shade of the holy Tree, and their intimacy reaches into a shared life of service and even into companionship beyond death. The Qur’án speaks of spouses as a sign, created so that souls may find repose in one another through love and mercy [1]. From here the way leads to marriage as a means of spiritual progress and to the laws that give the union its form.
O God, my God! Join in accord these two souls and set firm their feet in eternal love and everlasting union, in order that each of them may be unto the other a bestowal of Thy grace, a token of Thy loving-kindness, and an outpouring from Thy Kingdom of bounty. Bestow upon them pure and goodly offspring who shall stand firm in servitude unto Thee, remain constant in Thy worship, yearn for Thy Kingdom, and be filled with inspiration by Thy Great Announcement. Verily Thou art the Most Bountiful, and verily Thou art the Merciful, the Compassionate.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1903 ca., to Diyaullah Doctor Alai -- AB12849)
02
Lord! Make these two souls even as one body, one soul, and one heart, intermingling even as water and wine, and as honey and pure milk. Ordain Thou for their offspring every blessing. Advance their station and cause them to be as two luminous signs shining forth from the horizon of love and affection. Verily, Thou art the Unifier, the Supreme Ordainer, the Source of all love, the Most Generous, the Compassionate.
O Lord! Make this bond of unity that You have tied enduring, and grant this servant and handmaiden a spiritual and physical connection. Make this union abundantly blessed and this marriage a cause of joy. Increase the spirituality of both and grant them illumination, so that both may succeed in utmost truthfulness and worship of reality in servitude at Your holy Threshold. May they seek none but You, desire none but You, and speak of none but You.
O thou who art turned toward the Divine Kingdom and submissive to Divine Glory!
I beseech the Lord of the Kingdom, the Possessor of Glory and Might, to make thee and thy dear spouse two signs of harmony and unity, to bless your marriage for all eternity, to protect you both in the shelter of His protection, to watch over you with the eye of His providence, to cause your hearts to rejoice through His hidden favors, to gladden your eyes through divine bestowals, to continue upon you both magnificent bounties and heavenly blessings.
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05
Grant, O my Lord, that this marriage may be auspicious, joyous, blessed, and praiseworthy. Strengthen Thou the union and increase the harmony between these two souls, that they may live together in the utmost tranquillity and delight, and may establish a devoted family that believeth in Thee and in Thy signs. Verily, Thou art the All-Bountiful. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Omnipotent, the Most Powerful.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1912-Feb-19, to Aqa Ali Rida son of Haji Muhammad Baqir et al -- AB12851)
06
My God, my God! I beseech Thee to make this marriage encompassed by grace and bounty, and a cause of enduring harmony continuing unto the end of eternity. Lord! Create harmony between them, unite their hearts, and make this harmony an unbreakable bond unto the end of time.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, to Thamari, Zibandih and her spouse -- AB03306)
07
O God! Make Thou this marriage to be the cause of heavenly blessing and the means of enkindlement in the kingdom of eternity, through the fire of Thy love. Vouchsafe Thy grace that these souls may both attain near access to Thy sacred Threshold and remain steadfast in Thy love, that day by day they may grow in the degrees of the spirit and become even as twin signs of faith and certitude amongst mankind.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1904-Oct-18, to Ella G Cooper -- AB10556)
08
Recite this prayer:
O my God! O my God! We have become united through love for Thy beauty and hope in Thy good-pleasure and desire to serve Thee. O Lord! Make us as one body and one spirit, confirmed by Thy divine assistance, that we may arise with our whole being to serve Thee, detached from all else save Thee, firm in Thy Covenant and Testament, freed from everything except Thy love. O Lord! Assist us in this, for Thou art verily the Confirmer, the Ordainer, the Mighty, the Powerful.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1920-Jan-23, to Sohrab, Ahmad et al -- AB03317)
09
O Lord! I beseech Thee by the Luminary of Thy proof which hath shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of Thy prison, to aid Thy loved ones to achieve unity and harmony, that through them the horizons of Thy dominion may be illumined. Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent One Whom the conditions of Thy creation cannot frustrate, nor can the clamor of Thy servants dismay.
(Bahá’u’lláh, to Mirza Muhammad Ali the Greater Branch et al -- BH11707)
10
O ye two birds of the celestial gardens! Render thanks unto God that ye were graciously enabled to enter into matrimony with one another and wish to establish a blessed family. I too supplicate the realm of the All-Glorious that those two intimate doves may be made to warble sweet melodies in the heaven of His bounty, so that upon the twigs of the Tree of Life they may sing, in the most wondrous tones, hymns of praise and glory to the Lord of Hosts, in order that all who hearken thereunto may be moved and filled with joy and ecstasy, may be stirred by the breezes of God’s loving-kindness, may seek eternal life, and may long for spiritual rebirth.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1920-Jan-20, to Ford, Mr et al -- AB12843)
11
We beseech the Living, Self-Subsisting Lord that from the conjunction of these two stars in the horizon of the love of God blessed results may appear, and from the companionship of these two branches of the gardens of the knowledge of God wondrous flowers may bloom in this springtime season and goodly fruits become manifest. O Lord! Cause these two trees to bring forth leaves, flowers and fruits through Thy grace, bounty and benevolence. Verily Thou art the Generous One.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, to Siyyid Isma'il Shirazi -- AB11880)
12
O my Lord, O my Lord! These two bright orbs are wedded in Thy love, conjoined in servitude to Thy Holy Threshold, united in ministering to Thy Cause. Make Thou this marriage to be as threading lights of Thine abounding grace, O my Lord, the All-Merciful, and luminous rays of Thy bestowals, O Thou the Beneficent, the Ever-Giving, that there may branch out from this great tree boughs that will grow green and flourishing through the gifts that rain down from Thy clouds of grace.
O peerless Lord! In Thine almighty wisdom Thou hast enjoined marriage upon the peoples, that the generations of men may succeed one another in this contingent world, and that ever, so long as the world shall last, they may busy themselves at the Threshold of Thy oneness with servitude and worship, with salutation, adoration and praise.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, to Rawshan, Atiyyih et al -- AB05652)
14
O Lord! Grant that this marriage may be blessed and happy. Send down Thy mercy upon them both in order that from them may issue forth noble children who shall turn unto Thy Kingdom of beauty, glorify Thee in their hearts and with their tongues in the world of being, and unravel the mysteries Thou hast deposited in the hearts and souls. Thou, in truth, art the One Who uniteth, bindeth, and joineth together the human race. Thou, verily, art the Bestower, the Compassionate, the Beneficent.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1908-Jul-07, to Haji Abdu'llah et al -- AB12841)
15
Lord, Lord! Bless this union through Thy favors at all times and make them as one body and one soul, united without separation and in harmony without dissolution. Grant them pure offspring who will remember Thee morning and night and worship Thee at dawn and dusk.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1906-09 ca., to Daughter of martyr (Palestine) et al -- AB01091)
16
O Lord! Make firm their feet in Thy most great love, strengthen the ties of affection between them through the Sure Handle in Thine impregnable refuge, and send down upon them blessings from Thy side. Raise up through them descendants who will serve at Thy sacred and resplendent Threshold, who will make mention of Thee in the most exalted assemblage, who will worship Thee in the morn and the daytime, and who will supplicate Thee at dawn and eventide.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, to Zayn, Nuriddin et al -- AB12249)
17
O my Lord and my Hope! This Thy servant hath, in obedience to Thy bidding and in fulfilment of Thy laws, wed one of Thy handmaidens in order that they may establish upon Thine earth a family that shall remember Thee amongst Thy creatures, call out in Thy name amidst Thy people, and become distinguished throughout the world for its relationship to Thee and its reliance upon Thee. O Lord! Grant that this marriage may be prosperous, blessed, pleasing, and happy, and make it a cause of harmony and fellowship for evermore. Thou, verily, aidest whomsoever Thou willest. Thou art, in truth, the Most Powerful, the Almighty, the Omnipotent.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1920-Jan-25, to Shirazi, Haji Mirza Ali-Naqi et al -- AB12852)
18
Thou hast now favoured him with one of Thy handmaidens and hast wed him to her through Thine endless bounties. Lord, she was an orphan who was nurtured beneath the shade of Thy mercy and reared within the bosom of Thy favours and bestowals. She attained unto maturity within the protective embrace of Thy Covenant and was safeguarded under the watchful eye of Thy loving-kindness and mercy.
O Lord! Unite these two souls through Thy grace, and bind their hearts together through Thy bounty, that they may become even as a single body, a single soul, and a single being, untarnished by antipathy or estrangement, and waxing greater in fidelity and purity with each passing day.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, to Dhikrullah, son of Mirza Muhammad Quli -- AB12257)
19
O God! Endear this distinguished and loving maid servant of God in Thy Kingdom, bless the members of her household and encircle her respectful husband with the Glances of Thy Mercifulness!
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1913-Apr-06, to Annemarie Schweizer -- AB12780)
20
O maidservant of God! Praise be unto God that thy loving husband hath entered beneath the shade of the Blessed Tree, and hath received the light of divine guidance from the heavenly sun and luminous moon. He is an agreeable companion and a true friend. Therefore, thou shouldst act in such a manner that he may enjoy the utmost happiness, felicity, and delight and may be wholeheartedly pleased and gladdened. I shall pray for you and hope that, through the bounties and blessings of the Almighty, ye may live in a state of utmost harmony and love. Upon thee be the glory of the Most Glorious.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1910-Aug-18, to Wife of Siyyid Suhbatullah Dakkihi -- AB12842)
21
O my Lord! I beseech Thee by the breezes of the dawn of Thy Manifestation whereby Thou didst quicken all created things, and by the showers of Thy bounty and the pearls of the ocean of Thy knowledge and wisdom, that Thou assist him who hath turned toward Thee, through whom Thou hast manifested Thy grace and favor, and to whom Thou hast given one of Thy handmaidens who hath stood in Thy service for numbered years, in demonstration of Thy generosity and manifestation of Thy grace. O my Lord! Unite them through Thy Name whereby Thou hast subdued hearts and drawn souls unto Thee.
O God! O Composer of hearts and Endearing of souls and Gatherer of all pairs, that they may become intimate and harmonize and become one blessed soul in this first life and seek a contented life in the next life - bless these two souls through Your grace and mercy.
I beg of God to surround this union with a heavenly blessing, and to ordain for thy dear husband and thy dear brother a heavenly, spiritual and merciful gift which may lead to eternal, everlasting and spiritual life, and to infinite and heavenly distinction.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1902 ca., to May Maxwell -- AB09001)
24
I turned my face to the Holy Threshold of God and implored that this marital bond be interwoven with prosperity.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1920-Dec-09, to Kohler, Richard et al -- AB12627)
25
O my God! O my God! I ask Thee to protect these two birds in the orchard of Thy mercy, confirmed in joy and happiness in the garden of Thy bounties, warbling with the best melodies in the wood (garden) of Thy knowledge. Verily Thou art the Precious, the Mighty, the Protecting!
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1902-Jun-09, to Lucy R Windust -- AB09629)
26
Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Verily, this Thy servant and this Thy maidservant have gathered under the shadow of Thy mercy and they are united through Thy favor and generosity. O Lord! Assist them in this Thy world and Thy kingdom and destine for them every good through Thy bounty and grace. O Lord! Confirm them in Thy servitude and assist them in Thy service. Suffer them to become the signs of Thy Name in Thy world and protect them through Thy bestowals which are inexhaustible in this world and the world to come. O Lord! They are supplicating the kingdom of Thy mercifulness and invoking the realm of Thy singleness. Verily, they are married in obedience to Thy command. Cause them to become the signs of harmony and unity until the end of time. Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent, the Omnipresent and the Almighty!
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words to Mr and Mrs Ober, 1912-Jul-17, to Words to Mr and Mrs Ober -- AB07158)
27
O my God, my God! This is Thy maidservant who supplicates to the kingdom of Thy mercy, who is attracted by the fragrances of Thy holiness which Thou hast bestowed upon Thy servant who has turned towards the heaven of Thy oneness.
O Lord! Aid them both to be detached from all else save Thee, to be occupied with Thy remembrance and praise, and to be set ablaze with the fire of Thy love.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1900 or <, to Lua Getsinger -- AB10812)
28
O Lord, make Thou this marriage to be blessed, prosperous, and happy. Bind these two souls together, and gladden Thou every eye with the fruits that shall come forth from this auspicious occasion. Shelter them both within the sanctuary of Thy care and protection, and guard them with the watchful eye of Thy loving-kindness. Cause them to become signs of Thy remembrance amidst Thy creatures, and lamps of Thy knowledge within the glass of Thy bountiful favour.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1897-1898, to Diya'iyyih Khanum daughter of Abdu'l-Baha et al -- AB00136)
29
O Lord of the worlds and Educator of all who are in the heavens and on the earth! I beseech Thee by Thy Names, the Joyous and the Sorrowful, the Manifest and the Hidden, to bless these two souls, to ordain between them love and affection, and to protect them from the mischief of such as have disbelieved in Thy days and caviled at Thy signs. I beseech Thee, moreover, O my God, to write down for them both, by Thy Most Exalted Pen, the good of this world and of the world to come.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1306-08-01 [1889-Apr-2], to Ismul-Javad -- BH02217)