"He is the Bestower, the Bounteous!..."
"Baha'i marriage is union and cordial affection between the two parties.
They must, however, exercise the utmost care and become acquainted with
each other's character. This eternal bond should be made secure by a firm
covenant, and the intention should be to foster harmony, fellowship and
unity and to attain everlasting life."
--'Abdu'l-Baha
The pledge of marriage, the verse to be spoken individually by the bride
and the bridegroom in the presence of at least two witnesses acceptable to
the Spiritual Assembly is, as stipulated in the Kitab-i-Aqdas (The Most
Holy Book):
"We will all, verily, abide by the Will of God."
He is the Bestower, the Bounteous!
Praise be to God, the Ancient, the Ever-Abiding, the Changeless, the
Eternal! He Who hath testified in His Own Being that verily He is the One,
the Single, the Untrammelled, the Exalted. We bear witness that verily
there is no God but Him, acknowledging His oneness, confessing His
singleness. He hath ever dwelt in unapproachable heights, in the summits
of His loftiness, sanctified from the mention of aught save Himself, free
from the description of aught but Him.
And when He desired to manifest grace and beneficence to men, and to set
the world in order, He revealed observances and created laws; among them
He established the law of marriage, made it as a fortress for well-being
and salvation, and enjoined it upon us in that which was sent down out of
the heaven of sanctity in His Most Holy Book. He saith, great is His
glory: "Marry, O people, that from you may appear he who will remember Me
amongst My servants; this is one of My commandments unto you; obey it as
an assistance to yourselves."
--Baha'u'llah
"He is God!..."
He is God!
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. "I have not created
spirits and men, but that they should worship me."(4) Wherefore, wed Thou
in the heaven of Thy mercy these two birds of the nest of Thy love, and
make them the means of attracting perpetual grace; that from the union of
these two seas of love a wave of tenderness may surge and cast the pearls
of pure and goodly issue on the shore of life. "He hath let loose the two
seas, that they meet each other: Between them is a barrier which they
overpass not. Which then of the bounties of your Lord will ye deny? From
each He bringeth up greater and lesser pearls."(5)
O Thou kind Lord! Make Thou this marriage to bring forth coral and pearls.
Thou art verily the All-Powerful, the Most Great, the Ever-Forgiving.
--'Abdu'l-Baha
"Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Verily, this..."
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-Baha
"O my Lord, O my Lord! These two bright..."
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, the 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.
Verily, Thou art the Generous. Verily, Thou art the Almighty. Verily, Thou
art the Compassionate, the All-Merciful.
--'Abdu'l-Baha