Answered by: Maulana Muhammad Imad Ali
Question
If a woman does not want to get married, can she stay unmarried for her whole life?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer
It has been reported by al-Bayhaqi in his Shu’ab-Al-Iman that: “When a person gets married, he/she has completed half of their religion/faith/deen”
This unravels the importance of marriage and how Great a Sunnah it is of our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). There are many benefits of marriage; it helps a person overcome many of the traps Shaitaan has put before them. Marriage also helps one to lower one gaze’s and guard one’s own chastity.
Marriage teaches the spouses to live a chaste life and fulfill their sexual desires, social needs and emotions, and many more with as much content in a lawful way manner.
Imam Ghazali (one of the great Imams) stated in his book on etiquettes of marriage the benefits of Nikah. Here are a few:
- Lowering one’s gaze.
- Protection from evil desires.
- Strengthening oneself for worship.
- Mujahada (the spiritual struggle of carrying the Haq (right) of one’s family over one).
- Having a child.
May Allah give us the Tawfeeq (ability) of overcoming these issues and guide us all on the straight path. Aameen.
Only Allah knows best.
Written by Maulana Muhammad Imad Ali
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham