Fatwa ID: 02883

Answered by:  Moulana Muhammad Imad Ali​

Question:

Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah

According to the Qur’an, is it obligatory (Fard) to marry and reproduce? Is it Halal if a male never does both, or is that Haram?

    بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم

                                     In the name of ALLAH the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Answer:

One of the recognized and indisputable commandments of Islam is that of marriage, the sacred union that takes place between a man and a woman. In relation to this revered bond, there are many verses in the Qur’an and countless Ahadith that encourages marriage for any single man or woman so they may complete their faith… e.g. from the Qur’an:

• “Get the unmarried ones among you married as well as those slave men and slave women who are righteous (and capable of fulfilling the rights of marriage). If they are poor (before marriage) the Allah will make each of them independent (free from needing financial assistance from others) by His grace. Allah is bountiful, all-knowing." (S: Noor, A:32)
• “And one of His signs is the He created spouses for you from yourselves (from your own species) so that you may find solace (peace and comfort) with her and He has placed love and mercy between you. There is certainly signs in this for people who contemplate.” (S: Room, A: 21)
• “O mankind! Fear your Lord who created you from a single soul (from Aadam), created its spouse (Hawwa) from it, and spread great numbers of men and women form the two. Fear that Allah in whom you ask from each other and family ties. Verily Allah is watchful over you.” (S: Nisaa, A: 1)

e.g. from the Ahadith:

• Abu Hurayrah (ra) narrated that the messneger of Allah (pbuh) said, “when someone with whose religion and character you are satisfied asks for your daughter in marriage, accede to his request. If you do not do so, there will be temptation on the earth and extensive corruption.” (Tirmidhi, Hadith n:3090. Also, in Nasa’i and Ibn Majah)
• Abdullah (ra) narrated “once we were with the Prophet (pbuh) while we were young and had no wealth. So, The Prophet (pbuh) said, “O young people! Whoever among you can marry, should marry, because it helps him lower his gaze and guared his modesty (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, Hadith n: 4)

Regarding your questions from the few examples mentioned above, we can understand the importance of marriage and the consequences that will occur if one does not do so. There are also supplications mentioned in the Qur’an for our children, e.g. “O my lord! Grant me the coolness (comfort) of our eyes from our spouses and children, and make us Imaams (leaders/guides) of the pious (make our progeny pious and make us pious enough to guide pious people).” (S: Fur’qaan, A: 74). From this, we can understand the wisdom behind reproducing.

Only Allah knows best.

Written by Moulana Muhammad Imad Ali

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham