Fatwa ID: 05321

Answered by: Mufti Muhammad Afzal Hussain

Question

Is marriage fard for a person who is committing sin but can stop doing these sins in other ways except by marriage?

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer

The Religion of Islam has encouraged marriage and has ordered Muslims to help to have unmarried believers marry. Our Prophet, Muhammad (SWS) is a good model in this way.

Scholars conclude that marriage is a duty/fard for all the Muslims that have the proper circumstances to create a family and that is afraid of fornication.

There are the following hadiths about this issue:

Narrated ‘Alqama and ‘Abdullah:

“O young people! Whoever among you can marry, should marry because it helps him lower his gaze and guard his modesty (i.e. his private parts from committing illegal sexual intercourse, etc.), and whoever is not able to marry, should fast, as fasting diminishes his sexual power.”(Bukhari, Nikah,1)

Narrated Abu Ayyub:

The Messenger (SWS) ordered that:
 “Four things are from messenger’s tradition (Sunnah) Feeling ashamed, using perfume, using miswak and marriage.”

Narrated Anas bin Malik (RA):

A group of three men came to the houses of the wives of the Prophet asking how the Prophet worshipped (Allah), and when they were informed about that, they considered their worship insufficient and said, “Where are we from the Prophet as his past and future sins have been forgiven.” Then one of them said, “I will offer the prayer throughout the night forever.” The other said, “I will fast throughout the year and will not break my fast.” The third said, “I will keep away from the women and will not marry forever.” Allah’s Apostle came to them and said, “Are you the same people who said, so-and-so? By Allah, I am more submissive to Allah and more afraid of Him than you; yet I fast and break my fast, I do sleep and I also marry women. So he who does not follow my tradition in religion is not from me (not one of my followers).”

(Bukhari, Nikah, 1; Muslim, Nikah, 5, 1401)

It has been mentioned in “Al-Kafi fil Fiqhil Hanafi” that ‘ it is wajib (obligatory) to marry for the person with over sexual appetite, fears of falling into sin and have enough wealth to marry.’ (volume: 3, chapter: Nikah)

Only Allah knows best

Written by Mufti Muhammad Afzal Hussain

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah 

Darul Ifta Birmingham