What Is The Religious Judgment On Marriage?

What is the religious judgment on marriage?

It is stated in a verse of the Holy Qur’an, “And marry the unmarried among you and the righteous among your male slaves and female slaves.” (Nur, 24/32); also in another verse, “And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquillity in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought” (Rum, 30/21).

Again Prophet Muhammad (saw) encouraged Muslims to marry in many hadiths by saying; “Marriage is part of my sunnah, and whoever does not follow my sunnah has nothing to do with me. Get married, for I will boast of your great numbers before the nations” (Abdurrazzaq, al-Musannaf, VI, 173; Bayhaqi, al-Sunan al-Kubra, VII, 131); “O young people! Whoever among you can marry, should marry” (Bukhari, Nikah, 3; Muslim, Nikah, 1); “Nikah is my sunnah. Whoever does not follow my sunnah has nothing to do with me. Get married. For i will boast of your great numbers before other ummahs” (Ibn Majah, Nikah, 1).

Nikah is considered as a civil contract in one aspect and as a worship in another aspect. It is wajib for a person to get married if he has high potential to commit a sin due to his sexual desires. It is sunnah for those, who do not have a potential of committing a sin, to marry when their financial status is suitable. Although it is permissible for those, who will not be able to abide by the rights of his spouse due to old age or his sexual defect, to marry, some Muslim jurists express that it will be better for them not to marry (Ibn Qudamah, al-Mughni, IX, 343). It is makruh to marry if a person fears that he will oppress the woman to whom he will be married (Mawsili, al-Ikhtiyar, III, 38).

Source: Presidency Of Religious Affairs The Turkey, High Board of Religious Affairs FATWA