Question and Answer Series No. 289
Question: How does marriage alleviate poverty? And a hadith says, “Whoever among you can afford to get married, should do so.” Does this mean that a poor person who cannot afford it should not get married? Also, did the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) tell a person to get married to end his poverty?
Answer:
Praise be to Allah:
The first thing to understand is that marriage is one of the means by which poverty and hardship are removed.
Allah Almighty says:
اعوذباللہ من الشیطان الرجیم
بسم اللہ الرحمٰن الرحیم
(وَأَنْكِحُوا الْأَيَامَى مِنْكُمْ وَالصَّالِحِينَ مِنْ عِبَادِكُمْ وَإِمَائِكُمْ إِنْ يَكُونُوا فُقَرَاءَ يُغْنِهِمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ)
(Surah An-Nur, Ayah 32)
Translation:
"And marry the unmarried among you and the righteous among your male slaves and female slaves. If they should be poor, Allah will enrich them from His bounty. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing."
Explanation (Tafsir):
In this blessed verse, the word “Ayama” is used, which does not only mean widows but refers to unmarried men and women; that is, men who do not have wives and women who do not have husbands.
اِنْ يَّكُوْنُوْا فُقَرَاۗءَ يُغْنِهِمُ اللّٰهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهٖ :
Generally, poverty is considered an obstacle to a man’s marriage, as people think that if he has nothing, how will he feed his wife? Therefore, no one gives their daughter’s hand to a poor man. Allah the Almighty refuted this idea and said to marry off the unmarried; if they are poor, Allah will make them rich. Allah has the power to enrich from unseen sources.
This means that poverty should not be a barrier to marriage. Instead, one should trust in Allah and perform this blessed act. Whoever obeys Allah’s command, Allah will surely bless them with His bounty.
From a practical standpoint, after the wife arrives, the husband will strive harder to earn. It is often observed that after marriage, the income of many poor people increases, and many become prosperous. Sometimes, after marriage, a person’s sense of responsibility leads them to work with full effort, which they did not do before. Sometimes, the wife becomes a helper in his livelihood. Sometimes, the wife’s family helps him. And sometimes, such avenues of earning and income open up for the man that he had never imagined before. It is as if the children born bring their sustenance with them, for which their father becomes the means.
Moreover, he was already eating before marriage. Even if his earnings don’t increase, according to the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) saying, the food for one person is sufficient for two.
Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “The food for two is sufficient for three, and the food for three is sufficient for four.”
Imam Tirmidhi says:
Previously, he was earning alone; after his wife comes, his earning capacity will not just double but, according to a common saying, will increase eleven-fold. His wife will assist him; it is possible that Allah has gifted her with a skill, or she may prove to be an excellent advisor by giving better suggestions, or his situation may change with the support of his wife’s relatives. Furthermore, after having children, it is quite possible that they will earn so much that the entire family becomes wealthy.
Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) titled a chapter based on a hadith: “Chapter on the marriage of a destitute person; because of the statement of Allah Ta’ala: (إِنْ يَكُونُوا فُقَرَاءَ يُغْنِهِمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ) If they are poor, Allah will enrich them from His bounty.”
Hafiz Ibn Hajar writes under this: “This (verse) is in fact the reason and cause for the chapter’s title, the summary of which is: If wealth is not available at the moment, this is not an obstacle to marriage; because it is possible that they will acquire wealth later.” End quote.
Ali bin Abi Talha and Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) said: “Allah encouraged the youth to marry and commanded both the free and the slaves to marry, and then promised to make them wealthy upon marrying, and said: (إِنْ يَكُونُوا فُقَرَاءَ يُغْنِهِمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ) ‘If they are poor, Allah will enrich them from His bounty.'”
Similarly, it is narrated from Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him): “Seek wealth through marriage.”
(“Tafsir Ibn Kathir” (6/51))
Regarding this, Shaykh Ibn Baz (may Allah have mercy on him) says: “In this noble verse, Allah has commanded the marriage of unmarried righteous men and women. And then He has informed—and Allah’s information is always true—that marriage is a cause of Allah’s bounty for poor people. Allah gave this information so that the husband and the girl’s guardian may be reassured that marriage should not be stopped due to poverty; rather, it is one of the means of sustenance and prosperity.” End quote.
“Fatawa Islamiyah” (3/213)
Conversely, if one gives a daughter to a wealthy person, it is possible that he may become poor through some trial. Allah has said:
قُلِ اللّٰهُمَّ مٰلِكَ الْمُلْكِ تُؤْتِي الْمُلْكَ مَنْ تَشَاۗءُ وَتَنْزِعُ الْمُلْكَ مِمَّنْ تَشَاۗءُ ۡ وَتُعِزُّ مَنْ تَشَاۗءُ وَتُذِلُّ مَنْ تَشَاۗءُ ۭبِيَدِكَ الْخَيْرُ ۭ اِنَّكَ عَلٰي كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيْرٌ _ تُوْلِجُ الَّيْلَ فِي النَّهَارِ وَتُوْلِجُ النَّهَارَ فِي الَّيْلِ ۡ وَتُخْرِجُ الْـحَيَّ مِنَ الْمَيِّتِ وَتُخْرِجُ الْمَيِّتَ مِنَ الْـحَيِّ ۡ وَتَرْزُقُ مَنْ تَشَاۗءُ بِغَيَرِ حِسَابٍ
[Surah Al-Imran: Ayahs 26-27]
Translation: “Say, ‘O Allah, Owner of Sovereignty, You give sovereignty to whom You will and You take sovereignty away from whom You will. You honor whom You will and You humiliate whom You will. In Your hand is [all] good. Indeed, You are over all things competent. You cause the night to enter the day, and You cause the day to enter the night; and You bring the living out of the dead, and You bring the dead out of the living. And You give provision to whom You will without account.'”1
All of this is commonly observed. Wealth is like sun and shade; today it is here, tomorrow it is there. In fact, the very meaning of “daulat” (wealth) is to circulate. That is why the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) even married off a companion who had nothing but a single sheet of cloth, not even an iron ring.
It is mentioned in a hadith:
Sahl bin Sa’d (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that a woman came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: “O Messenger of Allah! I have come to offer myself to you.” The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) looked at her from top to bottom, then lowered his head. When the woman saw that he (ﷺ) had not made any decision about her, she sat down. A man from among the Companions stood up and said: “O Messenger of Allah! If you have no need of her, then marry her to me!” The Prophet (ﷺ) asked: “(Do you have anything [for the dower]?)” He replied: “No, by Allah, O Messenger of Allah, I have nothing.” The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “(Go to your house and see if you can find anything.)” The man went and then returned, saying: “No, by Allah, O Messenger of Allah! I did not find anything.” The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “(Go and look, even if it is an iron ring.)” The man went again and returned, saying: “No, by Allah, O Messenger of Allah! I couldn’t even find an iron ring, but I have this lower garment (izar).” Sahl, the narrator, said he did not have an upper garment, and the man said, “I will give her half of it.” The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “(What will you do with your izar? If you wear it, she will have nothing on, and if she wears it, you will have nothing on.)” Hearing this, the man sat for a long time. Then he got up, and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saw him leaving and ordered for him to be called back. When he came near, the Prophet (ﷺ) asked: “(How much of the Qur’an do you have?)” The man began to list the Surahs, saying he had such-and-such Surahs. The Prophet (ﷺ) asked: “(Do you recite all these Surahs by heart?)” He said: “Yes.” Upon this, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “(Go, I have married her to you for what you have of the Qur’an.)”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 5030)
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not even consider how this man would feed his wife, as he didn’t even possess a sheet or an iron ring. This is why scholars have listed marriage as one of the means of becoming wealthy.
However, the condition of today’s youth is also strange, as they shy away from the responsibilities of marriage under the influence of modern civilization. They remain busy in education until the age of twenty-five, and then spend five years in economic struggle to establish a certain standard of living and have enough money to marry with pomp and show. Thus, their youth passes in celibacy, and they look for a match after half their life is over. Modern civilization, on one hand, has created a sensational environment that makes minors mature early, and on the other hand, it has created a tendency to avoid the responsibilities of marriage. The result is that most young men are falling prey to sexual promiscuity, and on the other hand, girls’ marriageable ages are being wasted due to not finding proposals. Due to older age, matches are not made, and if they are, children are not born, and then problems like divorce begin. This situation needs reform and demands adherence to the guidance of the Qur’an.
And remember that Allah is All-Encompassing, so have hope in Him that He will create ease and abundance in sustenance. He is All-Knowing, so He knows who wants to live a life of chastity and is ready to accept the responsibilities of marriage despite being poor.
And the noble Messenger (ﷺ) said:
عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال :
(ثَلَاثَةٌ حَقٌّ عَلَى اللَّهِ عَوْنُهُمْ : الْمُجَاهِدُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ، وَالْمُكَاتَبُ الَّذِي يُرِيدُ الْأَدَاءَ ، وَالنَّاكِحُ الَّذِي يُرِيدُ الْعَفَافَ)
Translation:
“There are three whom Allah is bound to help:
(1) The Mujahid in the cause of Allah
(2) The slave who has a contract with his master for his freedom (Mukatab) and intends to pay it off
(3) And the one who marries, intending to live a chaste life.”
(Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 1655)
(Authenticated by Ibn al-Arabi in “Aridat al-Ahwadhi” (5/3), and declared Hasan by Al-Albani in “Sahih al-Tirmidhi”)
Therefore, all young people should marry as soon as possible with the intention of chastity and not delay marriage without reason, because staying single in youth increases the risk of falling into sin. And whoever is unable to marry due to a valid reason, such as not finding a match or not having reasonable expenses for marriage, should observe voluntary fasts until then.
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said that we were young during the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and had nothing. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to us:
يَا مَعْشَرَ الشَّبَابِ ، مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ الْبَاءَةَ فَلْيَتَزَوَّجْ ، فَإِنَّهُ أَغَضُّ لِلْبَصَرِ ، وَأَحْصَنُ لِلْفَرْجِ ، وَمَنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَعَلَيْهِ بِالصَّوْمِ فَإِنَّهُ لَهُ وِجَاءٌ ،
“O young men, whoever among you can afford al-ba’ah (marriage), should marry, for it helps in lowering the gaze and protecting the private parts. And whoever is not able to do so, should fast, for fasting will diminish his sexual desire.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 5066)
The meaning of “wija'” is protection from immorality.
The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) have two opinions regarding the meaning of “Al-Ba’ah”:
Some scholars say it refers to the ability to marry and bear its expenses. The second opinion is that it refers to physical ability, meaning one should have the strength for intercourse.
Neither of these two meanings contradicts the other. So the meaning of this hadith would be: whichever young person has the ability for intercourse and can bear the expenses of marriage should get married.
Imam an-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) says: “The scholars mention two opinions regarding the meaning of ‘ba’ah’, both of which lead to the same meaning. The correct one is that it refers to its linguistic meaning, i.e., intercourse. Thus, the meaning of the hadith would be: Whoever among you has the ability for intercourse through the means of marriage should marry. And whoever is financially incapable should fast to control his desire and eliminate the evil of his semen, just as a shield provides protection.”
(Sharh Muslim (9/173))
And Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) says: “‘Ba’ah’ has been interpreted as both intercourse (wat’) and the maintenance (ma’unah) of marriage. The first interpretation is not contradictory because it implies the necessities of ‘ba’ah’.”
See: Rawdat al-Muhibbin (p. 219)
And Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) says: “The ability to marry is the ability to provide maintenance, not the ability for intercourse, because the hadith is addressed to those who are capable of the act of intercourse. That is why the one who does not have this ability is commanded to fast, because it is a protection for him.”
(Al-Fatawa al-Kubra (3/134))
Shaykh Ibn Baz (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
“These two hadiths are not contradictory. Rather, each hadith comes in its own specific context. The hadith of Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) is a general address to all young people and others who desire to marry. This address states that the ability to bear expenses is necessary for marriage so that the husband can properly fulfill the responsibilities of maintenance, clothing, and housing that fall on his shoulders. The Arabic word in the hadith, ‘Al-Ba’ah’, refers to the necessities of marriage. The Lawgiver (peace and blessings be upon him) has explained this principle that marriage is not just a bond to fulfill one’s desires in a lawful way, but it is a responsibility, and the burden of this responsibility is in the form of men’s guardianship over women.”
“This hadith also proves that whoever is unable to marry should fast, because fasting reduces sexual desire and curtails the tricks of Satan. Therefore, fasting is also included among the means of chastity and lowering the gaze.”
“Majmu’ Fatawa Ibn Baz” (3/329)
The scholars of the Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta said: “It is Sunnah for a person who can bear the expenses of marriage and fulfill marital rights to marry promptly.” End quote.
(“Fatawa al-Lajnah ad-Daimah” (18/6))
The Saudi Fatwa Committee writes in another place explaining the above-mentioned hadiths:
“Encouraging a person who has the ability to marry does not mean that one who does not have the ability is forbidden from marrying. This non-prohibition is further strengthened when there is a fear of a poor person falling into sin. Then, the advice for the one who cannot afford to marry to fast is so that his desire is broken and he becomes calm. This does not mean at all that he should not try to get married, because it is possible that he may find someone to help him get married, and it is also possible that he may find someone who recognizes his piety and abilities. So all these are individual matters that can vary according to circumstances and customs. Whereas the hadith of Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) contains a general ruling, and it talks about protecting those who cannot afford to marry through fasting. Therefore, if the means for marriage become available to a person, there is no harm in him getting married; rather, marriage will be encouraged. That is why when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘(And whoever is not able)’, he did not say that he should not marry, but said: ‘(then he should adhere to fasting)’ so that he does not get involved in sin. But if there is an ability to marry, even if one has to endure some trouble and hardship for it, then there is no doubt that it is better to get married. Because the advice to fast was given when there is no ability, but if there is ability but a little hardship has to be borne, then getting married is much better.”
(https://islamqa.info/ur/answers/181556/)
ـــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــ
The Reality of a Few Famous Weak Narrations About Marrying to Alleviate Poverty
The hadith asked about in the question above is narrated in Tarikh Baghdad with the following words:
( أخبرنا محمد بن الحسين القطان، قال: حدثنا عبد الباقي بن قانع، قال: حدثنا محمد بن أحمد بن نصر الترمذي، قال: حدثنا إبراهيم بن المنذر، قال: حدثنا سعيد بن محمد مولى بني هاشم، قال: حدثنا محمد بن المنكدر، عن جابر، قال: جاء رجل إلى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يشكو إليه الفاقة، فأمره أن يتزوج ”
“Sayyiduna Jabir says that a man came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and complained about his poverty and destitution, so he (ﷺ) ordered him to get married.”
It should be clear that this narration is extremely weak and unreliable because its narrator, “Sa’id bin Muhammad,” is a worthless narrator.
Allama adh-Dhahabi writes in Mizan al-I’tidal:
قال أبو حاتم: ليس حديثه بشئ.
(Abu Hatim said: His hadith is worthless.)
وقال ابن حبان: لا يجوز أن يحتج به.
(Ibn Hibban said: It is not permissible to use him as evidence.)
He then cited this very same hadith of his.
Similarly, Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Some people narrate a tradition that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘Marry even in poverty, Allah will make you rich.’ I have not come across this narration, neither with a strong chain nor a weak one, and we do not need such a baseless narration for this subject, because this verse of the Qur’an and the hadith (about the man with not even an iron ring) are sufficient for it. (And all praise is for Allah).”
(Surah An-Nur, Ayah 32 / Tafsir Ibn Kathir)
Similarly, there is a commonly famous narration that a person came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) complaining of poverty. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Get married.” He got married, but poverty persisted. He came again with the same complaint, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) again ordered him to marry. He took a second wife, but his condition remained the same. He came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) again, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered him to marry again. Even after the third marriage, his poverty was not alleviated, so he came and complained again, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered a fourth marriage. He acted upon it, and his poverty was removed.
This narration was searched for extensively but was not found in any reliable book, nor did anyone who narrates it provide a reference. The baselessness of such stories is apparent from their content. It is difficult to find an example of such a poor person getting four wives one after another. Therefore, this narration has no reality.
((And Allah Almighty knows best what is correct))
Delve into the profound Islamic wisdom behind why a woman's home is her ultimate sanctuary. This article explores the Quranic… Read More
Explore the divine imperative of chastity in Islam, rooted in Quran and Sunnah, safeguarding dignity, family, and society from zina's… Read More
Discover Islam’s profound teachings on kindness to animals and environmental responsibility, rooted in Quranic principles and Prophetic traditions, promoting compassion… Read More
Explore the clear Islamic definitions and prohibitions of backbiting (Gheebah), tale-bearing (Nameemah), and lying. This detailed explanation from Allamah Zayd… Read More
Explore how women, as mothers and wives, form the cornerstone of family and society through nurturing, harmony, and value instillation,… Read More
Discover the metaphor of spouses as garments in Quran 2:187, exploring protection, comfort, intimacy, and mutual rights for a blessed… Read More