Wedding wishes: Turkish and Muslim congratulations (Nikah Mubarak, Barakallah) with translation

What do you write to a Muslim couple on their wedding day?

Keep it short, warm and sincere. The most common message is a blessing for the couple, either in Arabic, in Turkish or in plain English. "Nikah mubarak" (a blessed marriage contract) and "Barakallahu lakuma" (may Allah bless you both) are widely used by Muslims in many countries, and a simple "Congratulations on your wedding, and may your home be full of peace" is welcome from anyone, Muslim or not.

Turkish has its own set of phrases. People say Hayırlı olsun (may it be for the good) the moment they hear news of an engagement or a wedding, and they wish the couple a long life together. Which language you choose matters less than whether the line sounds like you. If you are writing to the parents or to an older relative, lean on the Turkish or Arabic formula. If you are writing to a friend your own age, a short personal sentence next to it is better than a long, borrowed one.

This guide gives you the common formulas with a translation, a sentence you can adapt for different people, and a note on what to avoid. For the wider picture of how the day itself unfolds, see Turkish wedding traditions.

What does Nikah Mubarak mean, and when do you say it?

Nikah is the Arabic word for marriage, and in Turkish it usually means the marriage ceremony or contract, whether the civil one or the religious one. Mubarak means blessed. So Nikah mubarak is "a blessed nikah". The Turkish version is Nikahınız mübarek olsun, "may your nikah be blessed".

You can say it on the day itself, in a card, in a message sent that evening, or in the days after. It fits most naturally around the nikah ceremony. If you are not sure how the religious and civil parts relate, our piece on imam nikah and religious marriage explains it plainly.

A few notes on use. It is a blessing for the marriage, not a general party greeting, so it sits best in a message to the couple or the families. It is fine for a Muslim couple at any stage of observance, because the wish itself is a simple, kind one. And it is not tied to one gender: it works for a brother, a sister, a cousin or a colleague.

Which Arabic blessing is traditional for a newly married couple?

The best known one is a short supplication reported in two of the standard hadith collections. Abu Hurayra reported that when the Prophet congratulated a man on his marriage, he said (Abu Dawud 2130, Tirmidhi 1091):

Barakallahu laka, wa baraka alayka, wa jama'a baynakuma fi khayr.

In English: "May Allah bless you, may He send blessings upon you, and may He bring the two of you together in goodness." Tirmidhi himself calls the report hasan sahih, and later hadith scholars, al-Albani among them, grade both narrations sahih. We checked the Arabic text, numbering and grading of both reports in October 2026.

In the hadith the first words are addressed to one person, laka (to you, singular). When people write to a couple today they usually use the plural forms lakuma and alaykuma, as in Barakallahu lakuma wa baraka alaykuma wa jama'a baynakuma fi khayr. That is a common adaptation for addressing both spouses, and it keeps the meaning of the original.

Here are the Arabic phrases you will meet most often, with what they mean.

If you want to read about what barakah means in a home, our piece on barakah in marriage goes into it.

What are the Turkish wedding wishes people actually say?

Turkish has a rich set of everyday wedding blessings. Many are short enough to say in a hallway or write under a photo.

The phrase dünyaevine girmek (literally to enter the "world house") is an old, affectionate way of saying "to get married", and you will still hear it from grandparents. The couple usually answers with Sağ olun (thank you) or Allah razı olsun (may God be pleased with you), and parents who are congratulated on a child's wedding often answer a prayerful wish with Amin.

These lines are common usage rather than rules, so families vary a little. If a relative uses a different wording, follow theirs. What people notice is the effort, not perfect phrasing.

What can you write to a sister on her nikah?

A sister's nikah calls for something personal. Start with a blessing, then add a line that only you could write, a memory or a small hope for her new home. Here are original lines you can adapt.

• Short. Nikahın mübarek olsun, canım ablam. Evin huzurla dolsun.
  May your nikah be blessed, my dear sister. May your home be full of peace.
• Warm. Barakallahu lakuma. You have been looking after everyone since we were children, and now someone gets to look after you.
• Prayerful. Allah sizi hayırda birleştirsin, yuvanızı bereketli kılsın.
  May God join you in goodness and make your home blessed.
• For a younger sister. Küçük kardeşim evleniyor, çok mutluyum. Hayırlı olsun.
  My little sister is getting married and I am so happy. May it be for the good.

If you are writing as a friend, Nikahınız mübarek olsun, hayatınız boyunca mutluluklar dilerim is enough. If you also want to send something with the message, our guide to gold gifts at Turkish weddings explains what families usually give, and nikah şekeri covers the small favours guests take home.

How do you say congratulations on your wedding in plain English?

Often what you need is simply a good message in English. You do not need Arabic or Turkish for it to feel right, and a message in English can carry the same blessing. Here are lines you can use as they are or change.

• For a friend. Congratulations on your wedding. I am so happy for you both, and I hope your home is always full of laughter.
• For a Muslim couple. Congratulations on your nikah. May Allah bless your marriage and bring you peace and kindness in the years ahead.
• For a colleague. Congratulations to you both on your wedding. Wishing you a calm, happy start to married life.
• For the parents. Congratulations on your child's wedding. May this be a day you remember with joy, and may the new family bring you happiness.
• For a mixed or diaspora couple. Congratulations on your wedding. May the two families, and the two languages, make your home richer.

That last one fits the many couples who bring two cultures into one wedding, a situation we describe in mixed Turkish and European weddings. A non-Muslim guest can safely write "May God bless your marriage" or just "Congratulations". Nobody expects Arabic from you.

How do you write a wedding card or message that fits the couple?

Good wedding messages follow the same simple shape. First the wish, then a detail, then a short closing line. It can be two sentences long.

1. Start with the blessing. Pick one formula from the tables above and use it once.
2. Add one real detail. A shared memory, the way they look at each other, or a hope for their home. This is the part that makes it yours.
3. Close warmly. A simple "With love" or Sevgilerimizle is enough.

A few small points of tone. Address the couple together unless you only know one of them well. Keep jokes gentle, since an older relative may read the card too. Avoid advice, because a wedding card is the wrong place for it. And write the Turkish characters properly, ş, ı, ğ, ç, ö and ü, since a dropped letter changes how a name reads, a point we also make in the guide to Turkish wedding invitation wording.

If you are attending in person, it also helps to know what to wear, bring and say. We cover that in Turkish wedding guest etiquette.

What should you avoid when wishing a Muslim couple well?

Very little, if your wish is kind. A few small things are worth knowing.

• Do not quote a verse or a hadith from memory. Religious texts should be copied correctly or left out. A plain blessing in your own words is always better than a half-remembered line.
• Do not assume how observant the couple is. Some marry with only a civil ceremony, some also have an imam nikah, and many are somewhere in between. Wishing them well in a way that suits both is the safest choice.
• Skip jokes about the wedding night, the mother-in-law or how long it will last. Even if the couple would laugh, an older guest reading over their shoulder may not.
• Do not ask about children, money or the mehir. A wedding message is for celebrating, not for questions.
• Do not rush to correct someone's pronunciation. If a friend says "Barakallah" in their own accent, accept the intention, because that is what counts.

Where does Lokum fit in?

Every wish on this page is written for two people who found each other. If you are still looking for yours, Lokum is a Turkish dating app made for exactly that. A chat opens only after you have both liked each other, profiles say what kind of relationship someone wants and which memleket their family comes from, and members can earn a verified badge through a short live selfie check. The rest is up to the two of you, and perhaps one day these lines will be written for you.