What Is the Ideal Age to Get Married in Islam?
Answered by Ustadh Salman Younas
Question
I recently met this boy I like, and I’m pretty sure he likes me back, but we’re only 14, almost 15, and I want to avoid an unhalal relationship with Zina. Is it possible to get married in Islam at this age, as my older brother, at 17, got married in Islam to stop Zina and unhalal relationship?
Answer
It is good to see your concern not to fall into sin and approach this matter in an approved way in our religion.
Technically, it is possible to have a nikah at this age in Islam. However, the matter is more complicated than this. You would have to consult your parents on this and be open with them regarding how you feel. You should also be aware of local laws dealing with a minimal marriage age if you wish to be registered with the state, which is always advised.
Most importantly, honestly, you will need to assess a marriage’s viability at this age. Marriage is a serious matter that comes with commitments and responsibilities. It is not simply for temporary sexual relief. Generally, young teenagers in modern society are not in a position to take on the responsibilities of marriage and deal with the serious commitment it demands. Scholars mention that if a husband is unable to fulfill the rights of a potential spouse, it would not be permitted for him to marry, and he must find other means to safeguard himself from Zina.
Your desire to avoid the haram is commended, but you must give this serious thought and possibly wait a few years before you dive into marriage. Until then, you should avoid anything (such as meeting this boy, chatting regularly with him, etc.) that may lead you to the impermissible.
[Ustadh] Salman Younas
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadh Salman Younas, born and raised in New York, graduated from Stony Brook University with a degree in Political Science and Religious Studies. After studying the Islamic sciences online and with local scholars in New York, Ustadh Salman moved to Amman. There he studied Islamic law, legal methodology, belief, hadith methodology, logic, Arabic, and tafsir. He is now in his final year of his PhD at Oxford University, looking at the early evolution of the Hanafi madhab.
His teachers include: Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, Shaykh Salah Abu’l Hajj, Shaykh Ashraf Muneeb, Shaykh Ahmad Hasanat, Shaykh Hamza Karamali, Shaykh Ahmad Snobar, Shaykh Ali Hani, Shaykh Hamza Bakri, Ustadh Rajab Harun and others.
Ustadh Salman’s personal interests include research into the fields of law/legal methodology, hadith, theology, as well as political theory, government, media, and ethics. He is also an avid traveler and book collector. He currently resides in the UK with his wife.
