Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

assalamu alaikum!!!

First of all i would like to thank you for sending me such mails. they show us the right way. i am also forwading you emails to all my freinds and relatives.

i have a question sir.

to marry is really important?? I mean if a person dosent want to marry but still he or she dosent commit any sin is it wrong??

waiting for your reply

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Is marriage obligatory

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Marriage in Islam is not obligatory, but rather a ‘mustahab’ or preferred and absolutely encouraged Sunnah; thus if one chooses to marry and fulfills the rights of marriage, one will have his/her due rewards from Allah Subhanah, and if one chooses not to marry, there is no sin upon the person.

But if one, regardless of whether man or woman, fears that they will not be able to maintain and protect their chastity, then the majority of the scholars are of the opinion that it would become ‘wajib’ or obligatory upon such a person to marry. But if one is able to control one’s natural physical desires, and chooses not to marry, that is an individual decision and there is no harm and no sin.

Your Question: to marry is really important??

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 3096 Narrated by Anas ibn Malik

Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said, "When a man marries he has fulfilled half of the religion; so let him fear Allah regarding the remaining half."

Although marriage is not considered ‘obligatory’ in Islam, its importance and significance in Islam can be determined by the guidance of the Messenger of Allah (saws) who termed marriage as ‘half of the religion’! That is how important the sacred institution of marriage is considered in Islam.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan