Is marriage obligatory
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:
HI
BROTHER ASSALAMALAIKUM,
PLS
TELL ME WHETHER ACT OF MARRIAGE IS MENTIONED IN QURAN OR IT IS JUST AS SUNNAH.
BECAUSE ISLAM EMPAHSIZE A LOT TO GET MARRIED FOR MALE AND FEMALE IF IT SO
IMPORTANT THEN WHY IT HAS NOT MENTIONED IN QURAN AND MAKE IT AS FARZ BECAUSE IF
YOU DON'T GET MARRIED THE YOUR GENERATION WILL STOP AND EVEN IN THE WORLD THERE
WILL BE NO PERSONS AVAILABLE THEN WHY IT WAS NOT MENTIONED IN QURAN PLS
EXPLAIN.
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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.
Your
Question: …PLS TELL ME WHETHER ACT OF MARRIAGE IS MENTIONED IN QURAN OR IT IS
JUST AS SUNNAH.
The ‘act’ or ‘term’ of marriage is mentioned in excess of
15 times in the Glorious Quran!
We assume you mean to clarify whether the act of marriage
is obligatory (Fard) or voluntary (Sunnah) in Islamic Jurisprudence.
The truth of the matter is that marriage is not termed as
a duty or an obligatory act in Shariah Law; but rather it is voluntary and an
extremely preferred Sunnah.
Your
Question: ….BECAUSE ISLAM EMPAHSIZE A LOT TO GET MARRIED FOR MALE AND FEMALE IF
IT SO IMPORTANT THEN WHY IT HAS NOT MENTIONED IN QURAN AND MAKE IT AS FARZ
BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T GET MARRIED THE YOUR GENERATION WILL STOP AND EVEN IN THE
WORLD THERE WILL BE NO PERSONS AVAILABLE THEN WHY IT WAS NOT MENTIONED IN QURAN
PLS EXPLAIN
The importance and the significance that the sacred
institution of ‘marriage’ holds in Islam can be gauged by the following
statement of Prophet Mohamed (saws):
Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 3096 Narrated by Anas ibn Malik
Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "When a
man marries he has fulfilled half of
the religion; so let him fear Allah regarding the remaining half."
We reiterate again that the ‘act’ and ‘term’ marriage
finds mention several times all over the Glorious Quran; but it is not termed
as ‘Fard’ or obligatory, but rather an extremely preferred Sunnah.
Making the ‘act’ of marriage obligatory would be as wise
as making anything ‘lawful’ as obligatory….like eating an apple, or driving a
car, or riding a horse, or wearing shoes, etc. etc. These acts are all lawful, but not
obligatory!!!
If one truly ponders over the Guidance and the Sunnah, one
would realize the wisdom and the vastness of the Mercy of the Lord Most
Gracious in not making marriage ‘obligatory’ on every muslim.
It is possible that one may not have the means to marry;
it is possible that one may not possess the physical means to get married (ie.
one may be physically challenged, or handicapped, or even impotent, etc.)….such
a person would find it difficult if not impossible to find a suitor in
marriage; it is possible that one’s sustenance is so straightened, that he may
hardly afford to feed himself, leave alone take on the responsibility of
maintaining his wife; etc.
One marries because one wants to marry and live within the
Prescribed Boundaries of Islam, not because one is obligated by Law to
marry!!! If one is obligated by Law, be
it the worldly law or Divine Law, one can only imagine the corruption such
forced marriage ‘contracts’ would create in society!
If one merely looks around them, one would find good
believers, men and women, who desperately seek to marry….but for one reason or
another are unable to find someone who will agree to marry them!
In conclusion, it is nothing but the Mercy of the Lord
Most Gracious that in His Absolute Wisdom and Knowledge, He Declared ‘marriage’
as voluntary rather than obligatory.
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