Marriage, according to the Qur´an, is a desirable thing: "Marry the spouseless among you, and your slaves and handmaidens that are righteous" (Sura al-Nur 24:32). It is the religious tradition (sunna) of the Prophet Muhammad: "Wedlock [nikah] is my tradition in religion; whoever does not apply my law has no part with me.
Marry, because I will vie the nations in number by you. Whoever has the ability to marry, let him marry, and whoever has not the ability, let him resort to fasting; for fasting is as good as castration."(1) Marriage is also half of the faith: "When the servant marries, he completes half of his religion; so let him fear God in the remaining half."(2) According to the jurists it is an obligation when one has a strong desire; namely one is guilty if he has a desire for a certain woman, is financially able to fulfill it (in marriage), but does not marry. He has committed a cardinal sin.(3)
Muhammad has prohibited celibacy.(4) In Hadith we read: "There will be none in paradise but have two wives; he will be able to see their legs even if they are behind seventy garments."(5) In Musnad of Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, it says, "Our tradition [sunna] is wedlock. The most evil among you are those who are celibate, and the vilest among your dead are those who are celibate."(6) Muhammad once asked a man named `Akaf if he was married, the man replied, "No, by God." He asked, "Do you have a concubine?" The man answered, "No." Muhammad asked, "Are you well off?" He said, "Yes." Muhammad said, "You are, then, a brother of the devils. And if you are a Christian, you are also their brother.(7) But if you are one of us, our life-style is giving in marriage."(8) Muhammad aroused men's interest in marriage because women bring blessing and wealth: "Marry women because they bring possession"(9) and "Two prostrations by a married man are better than seventy by someone who is single."(10)
We learn from the stories of tradition that marriage is not only the law of Muhammad, but the law of all the prophets, as well. "Whoever embraces my religion, and the religion of David, Solomon, and Abraham let him marry so long as he can; otherwise let him fight for the cause of God. If he is martyred [dies in war], God will wed him to the wide-eyed houris. The only exception to this is that if he attends to his parents or if he is under binding obligation to people."(11) So the one who does not marry exposes himself to the curse of God and the angels: "The curse of God and of angels and of all the people is upon anyone who lives in celibacy-- there is no celibacy after John, the son of Zachariah."(12)
The most important reason for marriage is bearing children. Jabir narrated, "While we were returning with the Messenger of God from a certain incursion, I started driving my camel fast, as it was a lazy one. A rider came behind me... Behold the rider was the Prophet himself. He said, 'Why are you in such haste?' I replied, 'I am newly married.' He asked, 'Did you marry a virgin or matron [a previously married woman]?' I answered, 'She is a matron.' He said, 'Then, [seek to beget] children! Children, O Jabir.' "(13)
It seems that in oriental societies it is a tradition and a part of their history to despise and suspect celibates! Anyone who does not marry exposes himself to all sorts of accusations. Ibrahim Ibn Masarra narrated, "Tawus said to me, 'Get married or else I will say to you what `Umar said to Abu al-Zawa´id: "The only thing that keeps you from marrying is impotence or lasciviousness." ' "(14)
The Importance of Marriage from the Viewpoint of the Jurists
The jurists say: "The only worship that has been instituted since the time of Adam till now, which will continue in paradise, is wedlock and faith."(1) Ibn Humam says about the relationship of wedlock to worship, "It is the closest thing to worship; so that occupying oneself with it is better than abandoning it for mere worship."(2) The importance and high position that the jurists place on wedlock (nikah) lie in its being "A cause for the existence of Islam and the Muslim."
It is, therefore, preferred to worship and fighting (Jihad). It is the cause of the existence of the Muslim and Islam, while Jihad only furthers Islam.(3) In Radd al-muhtar, the author says, "It has been preferred to Jihad. Both of them are the cause of the existence of the Muslim and Islam, because the result of the marriage of one single Muslim is much more than the result of fighting. In Jihad you only kill and subdue non-Muslims."(4)
Moreover, there are "other interests regarding wedlock, such as keeping women and oneself from fornication. Wedlock is the only means of obtaining pleasure."(5) There are others, as well, who claim that wedlock is a religious obligation just like fasting, praying, and the other requirements of faith; so that any who abandon it, being capable of paying the marriage portion, supporting a wife, and having intercourse, is considered guilty of sin. Shafi`i, however, thinks it is merely permissible, just like selling or bargaining.
They infer that it is a religious duty or obligation from the fact that one is enjoined to abstain from fornication. They say, "Since abstaining from fornication is a religious imperative, and since this can only be attained by wedlock, then that which is the only means to attain to a religious imperative, is also an imperative."(6) The jurists, however, think that nikah cannot possibly mean lust; if it were so, they argue, the Prophet, who married more than one wife, should have sufficed himself with one wife.(7) Yet, it seems that there is no real agreement among the jurists that nikah is a religious obligation or duty. Those who disagree on the issue of having to marry as an incumbent religious obligation quote Sura Al Imran 3:39, "The angels called him [Zachariah] while he was standing praying at the shrine: 'God gives news of John, who will confirm word from God, masterful yet circumspect [hasur, i.e. celibate], and a prophet [chosen] from among honourable people.' " "This Qur´anic statement points out the celibacy of John as a merit worthy of praise. Hasur means someone who does not have sexual relations with women in spite of being able to do so.
If nikah was a religious obligation, then John wouldn't have been praised on the account of abandoning it; since abandoning an obligation is worthy of blame rather than praise."(8) Al-Sarakhsi rejects this view and argues that "nikah is the tradition of Muhammad, while celibacy was the tradition of John. A Muslim has to follow the tradition of Muhammad."(9) The consensus of jurists agree that the increase of the nation is for the public good, since Muhammad will boast over the rest of the nations on the Day of Resurrection because of the large number of his nation."(10)
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