Is Marriage Obligatory?

Question:

Is marriage obligatory for someone who does not fear falling into unlawful intercourse and does not have a strong urge to marry?

Answer:

Wa ‘alaykum assalam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh.

I pray you are well.

No, marriage is not obligatory for someone who does not fear falling into unlawful intercourse. Such a person can remain unmarried. However, it is a strongly emphasised sunna, even in such a case, and it has benefits for one’s deen and dunya. So it is superior to marry, but it is not a must.

Marriage is obligatory for someone who can fulfil the rights of a spouse and fears committing unlawful intercourse. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

May Allah grant you the best of both worlds.

[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began his studies in Arabic Grammar and Morphology in 2005. After graduating with a degree in English and History he moved to Damascus in 2007 where, for 18 months, he studied with many erudite scholars. In late 2008 he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continued his studies for the next six years in Sacred Law (fiqh), legal theory (Usul al-fiqh), theology, hadith methodology, hadith commentary, and Logic. He was also given licenses of mastery in the science of Quranic recital and he was able to study an extensive curriculum of Quranic sciences, tafsir, Arabic grammar, and Arabic eloquence.