Marriage: The Most Effective Means of Prosperity!!!
Muaz Haider Kalkatavi
Student, Darul Uloom Deoband
(1) Quranic Promise on Marriage:
An important element of Islam's chaste system is "marriage." Promoting it implies generalizing chastity and virtue. Acting upon it promises an increase in sustenance, as Allah Almighty states in the Quran:
"If they are poor, Allah will enrich them from His bounty." [An-Nur: 32]
(2) The Practice of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) in this Regard:
(1) A significant issue we face is that the need for marriage persists, but due to a lack of means, an un-Islamic alternative is adopted without fear, whereas our Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) has declared marriage a cause of abundant sustenance.
Al-Tha'labi and al-Daylami narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Seek sustenance through marriage."
(Ruh al-Ma'ani lil-Alusi: 9/343, pub: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyya, Beirut)
Translation: It is narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Seek livelihood through marriage."
(2) On one occasion, a young man complained to the Prophet (peace be upon him) about his poor condition, so he (peace be upon him) ordered him to get married.
Al-Khatib narrated in his Tarikh from Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: "A man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) complaining of poverty, so he ordered him to marry."
(Ruh al-Ma'ani lil-Alusi: 9/243)
(3) It is known from the narration of Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that women become a cause of increase in livelihood:
Al-Bazzar, al-Khatib, and al-Daraqutni narrated from the hadith of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Marry women, for they bring wealth."
(Al-Tafsir al-Mazhari lil-Sheikh Thanaullah: 6/511, Maktaba al-Rashidiya, Pakistan)
Translation: Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) says that the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Marry women, because they become a cause of livelihood."
(3) Once, the Prophet (peace be upon him) arranged the marriage of a very destitute person who did not even have proper clothes, nor was he able to pay the dower.
He set his dower as teaching his wife the Quran, as is known from the following narration:
Imam Ahmad, al-Tirmidhi, al-Nasa'i, and Ibn Majah narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) married that man who had nothing but his loincloth, and could not afford an iron ring, yet he married him to that woman, and made his dower that he teach her what he knew of the Quran, and it is expected from the generosity and kindness of Allah Almighty that He will provide him with what is sufficient for her and for him. (Al-Tafsir li-Ibn Kathir: 6/48, pub: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyya, Beirut)
(3) Sayings of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them all):
(1) Ibn Abi Hatim said: My father told us, Mahmud bin Khalid al-Azraq told us, Umar bin Abdul Aziz told us, he said: It reached me that Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Obey Allah in what He has commanded you regarding marriage, He will fulfill what He has promised you of enrichment, Allah Almighty said: "If they are poor, Allah will enrich them from His bounty."
(Al-Tafsir li-Ibn Kathir: 6/47-48, pub: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyya, Beirut)
"Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Obey Allah by getting married, Allah Almighty will fulfill His promise of wealth, after which he recited the verse "If they are poor, Allah will enrich them from His bounty."
(2) Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I am amazed at those who do not seek wealth in marriage, when Allah Almighty has said: If they are poor, etc."
(Al-Tafsir lil-Qurtubi: 241/125, pub: Dar al-Kutub al-Misriyah, Cairo)
Hazrat Umar Farooq (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I am surprised at those people who do not seek their wealth and prosperity in marriage, while Allah's command is "If they are poor, He will enrich them with the blessing of marriage."
* Abdul Razzaq and Ibn Abi Shaybah narrated in al-Musannaf from Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: "Seek wealth in marriage."
And in another wording: "Seek wealth in marriage, Allah Almighty says: If they are poor, etc."
(Ruh al-Ma'ani lil-Alusi: 9/343, pub: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyya, Beirut)
In another narration, the saying of Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) is narrated as follows: "You people seek prosperity in marriage," after which he recited the aforementioned verse.
(3) Ibn Masood said: "Seek wealth in marriage," and recited this verse. (Al-Tafsir lil-Qurtubi: 12/241, Al-Tafsir li-Ibn Kathir: 6/48)
"The great jurist Hazrat Abdullah bin Masood (may Allah be pleased with him) said that seek prosperity in marriage, after which he recited this verse."
(4) From Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both): "Allah encouraged them to marry, and commanded the free and the slaves to do so, and promised them wealth for it."
(Al-Tafsir li-Ibn Kathir: 6/47)
The commentator of the Quran, Hazrat Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said that in this verse, Allah has encouraged people to marry, commanded the free and the slave to do so, and promised prosperity for it.
(4) Clarification of the Commentators:
The statements of the commentators related to the topic are translated and recorded in the following lines:
(1) Do not refrain from marriage due to poverty:
Imam Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) has explained this verse as meaning that "Do not refrain from marriage because of the poverty of the man and the woman."
(Al-Tafsir al-Qurtubi: 12/241)
Do not refrain from arranging the marriage of men and women due to their poverty.
(B) Lack of wealth cannot be made a reason for not marrying:
Dr. Wahba al-Zuhaili (may Allah have mercy on him) has interpreted this verse as follows:
"Allah removed the excuse of not finding a situation, and said: "If they are poor.... etc." This is a promise of enrichment for the married, so do not look at the problem of poverty, whether it is the poverty of the suitor or the betrothed, for in the grace of Allah is what enriches them, and Allah is rich, possessing vastness, His treasures do not run out, and there is no limit to His power, He is aware of the conditions of His creation, He extends sustenance to whom He wills and determines according to wisdom and benefit."
(Al-Tafsir al-Munir lil-Zuhaili: 18/232, pub: Dar al-Fikr Beirut)
(C) When children or those under guardianship want to marry, guardians should not prevent them from marrying by making their poverty a reason:
Allama Alusi (may Allah have mercy on him) has clarified the meaning of this verse by writing: "And what is meant by it, that is, from this verse, is to prohibit the guardians from making their poverty an excuse when they ask them to marry." (Ruh al-Ma'ani al-Alusi: 9/344)
(D) What does it mean to make prosperous? Will a shower of livelihood start as soon as one gets married?
Marriage is a cause of expansion, at first glance it seems that as soon as the marriage takes place, the arrival of wealth begins! However, this is not the meaning, but after marriage, Allah opens the ways of sustenance, this same content is mentioned by the commentator Ibn Ashur (may Allah have mercy on him) in a very unique way:
"And Allah's enriching them is the success of what they engage in from the means of sustenance that they are accustomed to, from comparing the general or special causes of profits that benefit their success and their trade."
(Al-Tahrir wal-Tanwir li-Ibn Ashur: 18/217, pub: Al-Dar al-Tunisiyah Tunis)
Logical argument for marriage being a cause of expansion:
Hazrat Allama Alusi (may Allah have mercy on him) has spoken about this from a rational and customary point of view, see his statement below:
(A) "And the wealth of the poor when he marries is an ordinary cause, which is his increased attention in earning and the goodness that stands in the effort where he is afflicted by one whose maintenance is obligatory on him legally and customarily."
(B) "And to that is added the woman's help to him and her assistance to him in the matter of his world, and this is common among the Arabs and the people of the villages, for we have found among them those whose wives suffice him for his livelihood and her livelihood by her work."
(C) "And to that may be added the obtaining of children for him, so the matter of mutual assistance and support is strengthened."
(D) "And perhaps the woman has relatives who provide him with assistance according to his marriage to them, and that is not found in the unmarried."
(Ruh al-Ma'ani lil-Alusi: 9/343-344)
Summary of Allama Alusi's statement (may Allah have mercy on him):
A: The meaning of a poor person becoming wealthy is that after marriage, he adopts a business that he is fully responsible for, which leads to his success.
B: The wife sometimes helps in economic matters, and the husband benefits from her wealth.
C: As a result of marriage, children are born who become a support for the father and lighten the burden of his responsibilities.
D: The wife's relatives also cooperate, which alleviates some of the burden, this facility is not available to the unmarried.