Fatwa: 805

Category: fatwas about marriage

The ruling regarding invitation cards for the banquet and writing the “Basmala(1) on them

The question:

What is the ruling regarding invitation cards and writing Basmala or a verse of the Qur’an or a hadith on them?

The answer:

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Peace and blessing be upon whom Allah sent as a mercy to the Worlds, upon his Family, his Companions and his Brothers till the Day of Resurrection.

Oral expressions are not different from written expressions as regards the ruling, in accordance with the rule stipulating that: “What is written is like what is spoken”, or the rule: “Writing to a remote person is like speaking to a near person” and “The pen is one of two tongues” as it is said.

For this reason, inviting to a banquet by speech or by writing are similar as regards permissibility and clarity. If it is most likely that this card will be thrown into a garbage can after the expiration of its delay, because of lack of piety, lack of concern or for other reasons, then it will be better to not write the Basmala, a verse of the Qur’an or a hadith, for fear of exposing the mention of Allah to humiliation. Yet, writing the Basmala is permissible, as the Prophet صلَّى الله عليه وسلَّم used to begin his letters by Basmala(2), in order to follow the example of the Koranic verses.

As for the person who receives such a card, he should endeavor to spare it being put in an undesirable place, and he is responsible if he contradicts this, and it is he who will incur sin and not the person who wrote it.

The perfect knowledge belongs to Allah عزَّ وجلَّ. Our last prayer is all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Peace and blessing be upon our Prophet, his Family, his Companions and Brothers till the Day of Resurrection.

Algiers, Safar 18th, 1428H.
Corresponding to: March 7th, 2007.



(1) Basmala: Saying Bismillâhi Rahmân Ar-Rahîm (In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.) Translator’s note.

(2) See : Sahîh Al-Bukhâri, concerning the beginning of revelation (hadith 7) and Sahîh Muslim, chapter of “Jihad and conquests” (2/849) (hadith 1773) on the authority of Ibn `Abbâs رضي الله عنهما, via Abu Sufyân Sakhr Ibn Harb رضي الله عنه.

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