All praises due to Allah Subhanahu wata’ala. May the prayers and peace of Allah be upon His Prophet Muhammad, the one who said in an authenticated hadith: “When a man marries, he has fulfilled half of his religion, so let him fear Allah regarding the remaining half.” (hadith narrated by Anas r.a).
May Allah bless all of us by performed half of our deenul Islam. What is half of our deenul Islam?. It is marriage. Marriage in Islam is a vital part of a Muslim’s life. In fact marriage is so important in the religion of Islam that it is declared to be one half of one’s faith. Marriage makes an incomplete human being, a complete one.
The Messenger of Allah Muhammad Shalallahu ‘alaihi wasallam (peace and blessings be upon him) said,
“Marriage is my sunnah (my way). Whosever keeps away from it is not from me.”
Subhanallah, Allah has created men and women as company for one another, and so that they can procreate and live in peace and tranquillity according to the commandments of Allah and the directions of His Messenger. Al- Qur’an says:
وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ خَلَقَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا لِّتَسْكُنُوا إِلَيْهَا وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَكُم مَّوَدَّةً وَرَحْمَةً ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
Wamin ayatihi an khalaqa lakum min anfusikum azwajan litaskunuu ilayha waj’ala baynakum mawaddatan warahmatan inna fee thalika laayatin liqawmin yatafakkaruuna
“And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves that you may dwell in tranquillity with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts); verily in that are signs for those who reflect.” [ Al-Quran 30:21 ]
“And Allah has made for you, your mates of your own nature, and made for you, out of them, sons and daughters and grandchildren, and provided for you sustenance of the best.” [Al- Quran 16:72]
Allah says:” And I have not created the jinn and the men except that they should serve Me.” (Quran Surah Adh-Dhariyat 51:56)
From this verse (ayah), we learn that our entire life should be dedicated to pleasing Allah, Who created us solely for this purpose. One of our duties towards our Creator is to bring to existence good Muslims (through Allah’s power, of course). And marriage in Islam is viewed as an important and sacred union between a man and woman that fulfills half of one’s religious obligations.
The Prophet Muhammad Shalallahu ‘alaihi wasallam considered marriage for a Muslim as half of his religion because it shields him from promiscuity, adultery, fornication, homosexuality etc., which ultimately lead to many other evils like slander, quarreling, homicide, loss of property and disintegration of the family. According to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) the remaining half of the faith can be saved
by Taqwa and marriage is part of taqwa.It is also a form of Ibadah (Worship) because it is obeying Allah and his messenger that husband and wife love each other and help each other to make efforts to continue the human race and rear and nurse their children to become true servants of Allah.
The choice of a marriage partner is one of the most important decisions a person will make in his or her lifetime. It should be taken as seriously as any other major decision in life – with prayer, careful investigation, and family involvement. And before making a final decision, the couple pray shalat Istikharah (prayer for guidance) to seek Allah’s help and guidance.
The first thing we should look for when marrying is how committed the person is to Islam. Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi was sallam) said, “A woman is normally sought as a wife for her wealth, beauty, nobility, or religiousness (adherence to Islam), but choose a religious woman and you will prosper. ” (hadith narrated by Muslim)
The same holds true when looking for a husband, as the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu alayhi was sallam) said, “When someone with whose religion and character you are satisfied asks to marry your daughter, comply with his request. If you do not do so, there will be corruption and great evil on earth. ” (hadith narrated by Tirmidhi)
Of course, both parties have to agree to marry one another and they can not be forced to marry one another .
In general, Muslim men are not permitted to marry non-Muslim women.
“Do not marry unbelieving women until they believe. A slave woman who believes is better than an unbelieving woman, even though she allures you…. Unbelievers beckon you to the Fire. But Allah beckons by His Grace to the garden of bliss and forgiveness. And He makes His signs clear to mankind, that they may receive admonition” (Qur’an 2:221).
An exception is made for Muslim men to marry chaste or pious Jewish and Christian women, who are referred to as “People of the Book.” They are–however–permitted marriage to the People of the Book (monotheistic women such as Christian and Jews) with a high emphasis on believing women (Muslim) as a top choice.
Under no conditions is a Muslim woman permitted to marry anyone but a Muslim man. The same verse cited above (2:221) mentions, “Nor marry your girls to unbelievers until they believe.
The Muslim marriage process is essentially comprised of some of the following steps – Rules related to Islamic marriage in Al-Quran are also included. Marriage is supposed to tie a man and a woman together and strengthen their relationship via a contract (aqd nikah).
Nikah is the process by which a man and a woman become husband and wife. The short ceremony is usually conducted by an Imam. A minimum of two witnesses are required to be present in the nikah. The bride must always be accompanied by a Wali or guardian. During this ceremony the mahr (or marriage gift or dowry) that the groom gives to his bride is also decided. The Imam delivers the “Khutbah” of the nikah, which is a sermon with Quranic verses and Islamic speech. The Nikah process makes both the man and woman legal for each other as husband and wife.
‘Aishah (radhiallahu ‘anha) asked Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu ‘alaihi was sallam) if women must be asked for their permission of marriage. Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu ‘alaihi was sallam) replied, “Yes. ” She said, ‘The virgin is asked for her permission but she gets shy. Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi was sallam) said, “Her silence is her permission. ” (hadith Bukhari and Muslim).
Marriage from Islamic perspective is not only a form of formalization of the relationship of husband and wife or simply meeting the needs of human nature, but more than that, an act of worship which is prescribed.
May Allah guide us and all Muslims to good loving mates. As a Muslim, one should live in accordance with the Islamic rules.
