When Must We Marry?

MARRIAGE: A MEDIUM OF REACHING ALLAH

We have already described that one of the important factors in making spiritual progress is having a well-bred and suitable spouse.

Young brother and sister, do you desire to start upon a spiritual journey and reach a place where Allah stamps your heart with His approval and pleasure, when you are still young and your heart is pure and the dust of abjectness and sin has not yet contaminated your soul?

By the grace of Allah, move on! But do not move alone, this is a risky and dangerous way. You need a companion, a helper, a sympathiser. Take the hand of another young one as your life partner and set off together, so that you may be the helper, sympathiser, associate and confidante to each other. You may make each other hopeful and encourage one another.

Think of what the Prophet (a.s) said:

من أحب أن يلقي الله طاهرا مطهرا فليلقه متزوجا

"Whoever disires to meet Allah in a pure condition must marry (take a spouse)." 1

So now that you have the love, enthusiasm and joy of the youth, move and select your partner for the life journey, Now is the time to commence a journey. Do not allow this love, enthusiasm and joy change into sadness, apathy and frigidity.

The marriage that rest upon fresh love and felicity makes the coming years of life fragrant, pleasant and colourful. Take the hand of your young, vivacous life partner and fly over the heights of the sky like two loving pigeons. Make good of this duration. Do not let it go.

See what Ali (a.s) says about his wife Fatima (s.a) and how he recited verses of love, defining the duration of youth.

"We were enjoying felicity, health and youth like two pigeons in a dwelling."