In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
The institution of marriage was established by Allah at the beginning of creation. The Prophet Adam, upon him be peace, was married to his wife Eve, upon her be peace. From this moment, Allah prescribed the forming of marital unions in order to benefit the faith, the family, the society, and the love and companionship of the married.
Allah said:
وَيَا آدَمُ اسْكُنْ أَنتَ وَزَوْجُكَ الْجَنَّةَ فَكُلَا مِنْ حَيْثُ شِئْتُمَا وَلَا تَقْرَبَا هَٰذِهِ الشَّجَرَةَ فَتَكُونَا مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ
O Adam, live with your wife in Paradise and eat from wherever you will but do not approach this tree, lest you be among the wrongdoers.
Surah Al-A’raf 7:19
As it is written in the Torah:
עַל־ כֵּן֙ יַֽעֲזָב־ אִ֔ישׁ אֶת־ אָבִ֖יו וְאֶת־ אִמֹּ֑ו וְדָבַ֣ק בְּאִשְׁתֹּ֔ו וְהָי֖וּ לְבָשָׂ֥ר אֶחָֽד
Therefore, a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh.
Source: Genesis 2:24
As it is written in the Gospel:
אבל מראשית הבריאה זכר ונקבה עשה אתם אלהים על כן יעזב איש את אביו ואת אמו ודבק באשתו והיו שניהם לבשר אחד ואם כן אפוא אינם עוד שנים כי אם בשר אחד לכן את אשר חבר אלהים לא יפרידנו אדם
From the beginning of creation, Allah made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what Allah has joined together, let not man put asunder.
Source: Mark 10:6-9
Benefits of Faith
Marriage serves the purpose of bringing together a husband and wife as believers in their Lord, who will walk the path of Islam together in submission to the Creator of the Universe.
Allah said:
وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا وَمَسَاكِنَ طَيِّبَةً فِي جَنَّاتِ عَدْنٍ وَرِضْوَانٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ
Allah has promised the believing men and believing women gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will live eternally, and pleasant dwellings in gardens of perpetual residence, but approval from Allah is greater. That is the great success.
Surah At-Tawba 9:72
Abu Huraira, RadhiAllahu Anhu, reported: The Messenger of Allah, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:
تُنْكَحُ الْمَرْأَةُ لِأَرْبَعٍ لِمَالِهَا وَلِحَسَبِهَا وَلِجَمَالِهَا وَلِدِينِهَا فَاظْفَرْ بِذَاتِ الدِّينِ
A woman is married for four reasons: her property, her status, her beauty, and her religion; so choose according to religion.
Source: Sahih Muslim 1466, Grade: Sahih
Fatimah bint Qais, RadhiAllahu Anha, reported: The Messenger of Allah, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam , said to me, “When you are lawful for marriage, then call for me.” So she called for him when she received proposals from Mu’awiyah ibn Abu Sufyan, Abu Al-Jahm, and Usama ibn Zaid, RadhiAllahu Anhuma. The Messenger of Allah said:
أَمَّا مُعَاوِيَةُ فَرَجُلٌ تَرِبٌ لَا مَالَ لَهُ وَأَمَّا أَبُو الْجَهْمِ فَرَجُلٌ ضَرَّابٌ لِلنِّسَاءِ وَلَكِنْ أُسَامَةَ
As for Mu’awiyah, then he is a poor man without any wealth (and cannot provide for you), and as for Abu Al-Jahm, he frequently beats women; rather, you should choose Usama.
She gestured with her hand saying that she did not want to marry Usama, but the Messenger of Allah, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said to her:
طَاعَةُ اللَّهِ وَطَاعَةُ رَسُولِهِ خَيْرٌ لَكِ
Obedience to Allah and His Messenger is better for you.
Source: Musnad Ahmad 26779, Grade: Sahih
So Fatimah married Usama and she was so happy that she was envied by others.
Benefits of Family:
Marriage serves the purpose of bringing two families together, encouraging reconciliation between them, protecting the rights of women and children, and producing righteous offspring who will be happy in this life and the Hereafter.
Allah said:
وَعَاشِرُوهُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ فَإِن كَرِهْتُمُوهُنَّ فَعَسَىٰ أَن تَكْرَهُوا شَيْئًا وَيَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ فِيهِ خَيْرًا كَثِيرًا
Live with them in kindness, for if you dislike them, then perhaps you dislike something but Allah has placed therein much good.
Surah An-Nisa 4:19
And Allah said:
وَالَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَاجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا
The believers say: Our Lord, grant us from among our wives and offspring joy to our eyes and make us an example for the righteous.
Surah Al-Furqan 25:74
Aisha, RadhiAllahu Anha, reported: The Messenger of Allah, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:
خَيْرُكُمْ خَيْرُكُمْ لِأَهْلِهِ وَأَنَا خَيْرُكُمْ لِأَهْلِي
The best of you are the best to their families, and I am the best to my family.
Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 3895, Grade: Sahih
Abu Huraira, RadhiAllahu Anhu, reported: The Messenger of Allah, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:
أَكْمَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِيمَانًا أَحْسَنُهُمْ خُلُقًا وَخِيَارُكُمْ خِيَارُكُمْ لِنِسَائِهِمْ خُلُقًا
The most complete of the believers in faith are those with the best character, and the best of you are the best in behavior to their women.
Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 1162, Grade: Sahih
Benefits of Society:
Marriage serves the purpose of strengthening the common good through stable family relationships, reconciling Muslims with the peoples of the scripture, and emancipating slaves .
Allah said:
وَالْمُحْصَنَاتُ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَالْمُحْصَنَاتُ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ إِذَا آتَيْتُمُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ مُحْصِنِينَ غَيْرَ مُسَافِحِينَ وَلَا مُتَّخِذِي أَخْدَانٍ
Lawful in marriage are chaste women from among the believers and chaste women from among those who were given the Scripture before you, when you have given them their due compensation, desiring chastity, not unlawful sexual intercourse or taking secret lovers.
Surah Al-Ma’idah 5:5
And Allah said:
وَأَنكِحُوا الْأَيَامَىٰ مِنكُمْ وَالصَّالِحِينَ مِنْ عِبَادِكُمْ وَإِمَائِكُمْ إِن يَكُونُوا فُقَرَاءَ يُغْنِهِمُ اللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ
Marry the unmarried among you and the righteous among your male slaves and female slaves. If they should be poor, Allah will enrich them from His bounty, for Allah is All-Encompassing and Knowing.
Surah An-Nur 24:32
Burda, RadhiAllahu Anha, reported: The Messenger of Allah, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:
وَرَجُلٌ كَانَتْ عِنْدَهُ أَمَةٌ فَأَدَّبَهَا فَأَحْسَنَ تَأْدِيبَهَا وَعَلَّمَهَا فَأَحْسَنَ تَعْلِيمَهَا ثُمَّ أَعْتَقَهَا فَتَزَوَّجَهَا فَلَهُ أَجْرَانِ
A man will have a double reward who owns a servant girl and he mentors her, teaches her beautiful manners, and educates her in the best way, then he emancipates her and marries her.
Source: Sahih Bukhari 97, Grade: Sahih
Benefits of Love and Companionship:
Marriage serves the purpose of fostering love and companionship between a husband and wife, promoting their happiness, and respecting their complementary nature.
Allah said:
وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ خَلَقَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا لِّتَسْكُنُوا إِلَيْهَا وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَكُم مَّوَدَّةً وَرَحْمَةً ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
Among His signs is that He created for you mates from yourselves that you may find tranquility in them, and He placed between you love and mercy. Verily, in that are signs for a people who give thought.
Surah Ar-Rum 30:21
And Allah said:
سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْأَزْوَاجَ كُلَّهَا مِمَّا تُنبِتُ الْأَرْضُ وَمِنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ وَمِمَّا لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
Exalted is He who created all pairs – from what the earth grows and from themselves and from that which they do not know.
Surah Ya Seen 36:36
And Allah said:
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا
O mankind, verily, We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another.
Surah Al-Hujurat 49:13
Anas ibn Malik, RadhiAllahu Anhu, reported: Abdur Rahman ibn Awf, RadhiAllahu Anhu, married a woman and he gave her the weight of a date stone in gold as a dowry. The Prophet, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, noticed the signs of happiness on his face, so he asked him about it and Abdur Rahman, RadhiAllahu Anhu, said:
إِنِّي تَزَوَّجْتُ امْرَأَةً عَلَى وَزْنِ نَوَاةٍ
Indeed, I have married a woman and I have given her the weight of a date stone in gold.
Source: Sahih Bukhari 4853, Grade: Sahih
Ibn Abbas, RadhiAllahu Anhuma, reported: The Messenger of Allah, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:
لَمْ نَرَ لِلْمُتَحَابَّيْنِ مِثْلَ النِّكَاحِ
We do not see for those who love one another anything like marriage.
Source: Sunan Ibn Majah 1847, Grade: Sahih li ghayri
Aisha, RadhiAllahu Anha, reported: The Messenger of Allah, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:
إِنَّمَا النِّسَاءُ شَقَائِقُ الرِّجَالِ
Verily, women are only the counterparts of men.
Source: Musnad Ahmad 25663, Grade: Hasan
Success comes from Allah, and Allah knows best.