Wording guide
Nikah and walima invitation wording, with Urdu lines and Quranic references
By the Wishly team · Updated
A nikah invitation opens with Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim, in the name of Allah, the Merciful and Compassionate, and invites guests to the nikah, usually from the bride's family, while the walima invitation comes from the groom's family. Many Indian cards time the nikah by a prayer, such as after Jumma or after Isha, and close with the names of those who await your arrival.
This guide gives the order of a nikah card, samples in English with Urdu lines, and the etiquette families follow for the nikah, the rukhsati and the walima.
The order of lines on a nikah card
Muslim wedding cards in India keep a simple, dignified order, and the wording varies from family to family and region to region. Treat what follows as a base and let your elders adjust it.
- Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim at the top, or 786, its numerical value, which some families print instead so that the words are not discarded with the card.
- A Quranic reference with its meaning, such as Surah Ar-Rum 30:21.
- The hosts, often the bride's parents, and insha'Allah before the date.
- The bride, then the groom, each named with their parents.
- The nikah: date, time by the clock or by a prayer, and the masjid or venue.
- The rukhsati and dinner, and the walima with the name of its hosts.
- Muntazir, those who await you, followed by the family's names.
Quranic references families print
Print the reference and its meaning rather than a long quotation, and check both with someone who knows the Quran before the card goes to print. These three are often chosen for a nikah.
- Surah Ar-Rum 30:21: among the signs of Allah is that He created spouses for you from among yourselves, so that you may find peace with them, and placed love and mercy between you.
- Surah An-Naba 78:8: that people were created in pairs.
- Surah Al-Furqan 25:74: a prayer asking that spouses and children be a comfort to the eyes, and that the family be an example to the righteous.
Formal nikah wording from the bride's parents
The nikah card usually comes from the bride's parents. This sample keeps the English that guests from every community read, and adds the Urdu lines many families like.
Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
With the blessings of Allah,
Mr and Mrs Abdul Rahman
request the honour of your presence at the nikah of their daughter
Ayesha
with
Imran
son of Mr and Mrs Saleem Khan
insha'Allah on Friday, 12 February 2027, ba'd namaz-e-Jumma
at Masjid [name], Lucknow
Aap ki tashreef aawari hamare liye baais-e-masarrat hogi.
Muntazir: the Rahman family
What it says: Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim means: in the name of Allah, the Merciful and Compassionate. Insha'Allah means God willing, and ba'd namaz-e-Jumma, after the Friday prayer. The Urdu line means: your gracious arrival will be a source of joy for us. Muntazir means: awaiting you.
The walima and couple-hosted invitations
The walima is the groom's family's feast after the nikah, and its invitation is in their name. When both fall on one day, a single invitation can carry both, naming the hosts of each.
Da'wat-e-Walima
Mr and Mrs Saleem Khan
request the pleasure of your company at the walima of their son
Imran
and daughter-in-law Ayesha
Sunday, 14 February 2027, 8 pm
[banquet hall], Lucknow
What it says: Da'wat-e-Walima means the invitation to the walima.
Bismillah
Ayesha and Imran
invite you to our nikah, insha'Allah,
on Friday, 12 February 2027, after Jumma,
and to our walima on Sunday evening
Your duas are the gift we ask for.
What it says: Bismillah means: in the name of Allah. Duas are prayers.
WhatsApp and the mehndi
Evenings before the wedding, such as the mehndi, the dholki and the manjha or mayun, are usually at home with a smaller list. A short message with the address is enough.
Assalamu alaikum!
Ayesha and Imran's nikah is on Friday, 12 February 2027, after Jumma, in Lucknow. Walima on Sunday, 14 February.
Invitation, venues and RSVP: [link]
Please remember them in your duas.
What it says: Assalamu alaikum is the greeting: peace be upon you.
Mehndi and Dholki
Wednesday, 10 February 2027, from 7 pm
At the Rahman home, [address], Lucknow
Songs, mehndi and chai; come in green.
What it says: A dholki is an evening of songs sung to the dholak drum.
Etiquette for a nikah invitation
The nikah is usually hosted by the bride's family and the walima by the groom's, and each family sends invitations for its own event. Parents invite close relatives in person, or with a call, before any card or link arrives.
If the nikah is at a masjid, say whether women can attend there, and where the rest of the day takes place. If men and women are seated separately at dinner, mention it in the details so that families can plan.
- Give the time by the clock as well as by the prayer; guests from other cities may not know local prayer times.
- Keep the Quranic reference on the inside of a printed card, not on an envelope that may be thrown away.
- Name the hosts of the walima, so guests know whose family to greet.
Questions families ask
- What is written at the top of a nikah card?
- Many cards begin with Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim, or with 786 where a family prefers not to print the words. Some add a reference such as Surah Ar-Rum 30:21, the verse about spouses as a source of peace, love and mercy.
- Who sends the walima invitation?
- The groom's family, because the walima is their feast after the nikah. It can be a separate card or a page of the same invitation.
- What do guests reply to a nikah invitation?
- Nikah Mubarak, or a dua for the couple. Many send the dua the Prophet said for a newly married man, recorded by Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi: Barakallahu laka wa baraka alaika wa jama'a bainakuma fi khair, may Allah bless you, send blessings upon you and join you both in goodness.
