The Importance of Hastening to Marry: Advice for Muslim Youth

Why Delaying Marriage Can Be Harmful: Guidance from Islamic Scholars

MERITS OF HASTENING TO MARRY

Q 181: One thinks that the salary of a girl, her job, the financial and social status of a suitor or her education may lead at times to delaying marriage, what are your directions in this regard? May Allah reward you with the best! 

A : It is most required to hasten to marry. Young men should not delay marriage due to studying. Marriage is not an obstacle in the way of this. It is also possible that a young man gets married in order to guard his religion and manners, lower his gaze, and continue studying.. Similarly, if Allah brings to a young woman a competent person, she should take the initiative to marry him even if she is still studying; whether in secondary education or in post-graduate studies, for all of this does not prevent marriage. 

Moreover, people should accept a competent suitor even if this leads to some interruption in education. It is important that a woman learns her religion but anything else is a secondary benefit while marriage includes many benefits and especially in this time. Besides, delaying marriage in this time includes great harms to youth. Consequently, every young man and woman should take the initiative to marry; a young woman should not hesitate and delay marriage when she finds a competent suitor and a young man should proceed to marry when he finds a good fiancée in accordance with the saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in the Sahih (authentic) Hadith: “O young people! Whoever among you is able to marry, should marry, for marriage would help him lower his gaze and keep his virtuousness and whoever is not able to marry, is recommended to fast, for fasting would diminish his sexual appetite.” (Agreed upon by Imams Al-Bukhari and Muslim) This Hadith includes both young men and young women, not only men for both are in need of marriage. 

May Allah grant us all guidance! 

[Majmoo ’al-Fataawa Ibn Baaz, Vol.: 20; pp. 421 – 422]

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