Sunnah Method Of Marriage

4. Benefits of Marriage

1) Children – Hadrat Ma’qil ibn Yasâr, radiyallahu anhu, narrates that Rasulullâh ﷺ said, “Marry such women who are loving and produce children (in abundance) because (on the Day of Judgement) I will vie with other ummahs (and be proud) of your numbers.” (Abû Dâwûd, Nasa’i)

The numerical superiority of the ummah will be a source of great pleasure for Nabî ﷺ on the Day of Judgement. Abundance of children is thus a great bounty and has many advantages in this life and the hereafter. After the parent’s death, obedient children continuously engage in duâ and acts of reward on behalf of their deceased parents. Children who have received a thorough religious upbringing and Islamic guidance will perpetuate piety and virtue in the future generations. It is mentioned in a hadîth that when the status of a person is increased in jannah, he will ask out of wonder: "How did I receive all of this?" (i.e. "How did I receive such a high status when I had not carried out so many good deeds to deserve such a status?") It will be said to this person that this high status is on account of his children seeking forgiveness on his behalf. (Sharhus-Sudur)

Children who died in infancy will be a great aid for their parents in the Hereafter. Through their intercession, the parents will obtain forgiveness and be saved from the calamities of the punishment of Jahannum. It is mentioned that the fetus who is born from a miscarriage (i.e. it is born before its due date) will "fight"(wrangle) with its Creator when its parents are entered into jahannam. In other words, this child will go to the extremes in interceding on behalf of its parents and will ask Allah ta’ala to remove its parents from jahannam. Through His bounty, Allah ta’ala will accept the intercession of this child and He will be soft and lenient towards it. It will be said to this child: "O siqt (which means, miscarried fetus) who is quarreling with its Lord! Enter your parents into jannah." So this child will draw its parents out of jahannam with its navel cord and enter both of them into jannah. (Ibn Mâjah)

Pious children who have attained adulthood, too, will be intercessors on behalf of their parents in the hereafter. The greatest benefit in abundance of progeny is the increase in the number and strength of the ummah in this world and the pleasure of Rasulullâh ﷺ in the hereafter.

2) Protection from the plots of Shaytân; controlling of desires, the private parts and the gaze as mentioned in hadith no. 4.

3) Blessings in wealth – Hadrat Aishâ, radiyallahu anha, narrates that Rasulullâh ﷺ said, “Marry women, for they will bring for you wealth.” (Bazzâz) If both husband and wife are intelligent, there will be blessings in the income of the husband. The husband will endeavor to earn more because of his added responsibility, while the intelligent wife will not squander the wealth, but will economize and conduct the house budget in a befitting manner. This family will, as a result of this attitude of the marriage partners, become prosperous and this will ensure comfort and peace; which is the very purpose of wealth.

4) Women will take care of the housework, thus allowing the men to earn a living and provide for the family – It is an act of great reward and much significance for a woman to tend to the affairs of her home. Rasulullâh ﷺ exhorted women to do the housework themselves. Once Hadrat Fâtimâ, radiyallahu anha, requested Nabî ﷺ for a servant to assist her in her housework. Nabî ﷺ told her, “O Fâtimâ, fear Allâh ta’ala. Fulfil the compulsory duties of your Sustainer and do the work of your house-folk. (Bukhârî, Muslim) A sign of Qiyâmah is that women will leave the confines of their homes and work in shops as narrated by Ibn Masûd, radiyallahu anhu, that Nabi ﷺ said, “Before Qiyâmah, salâm will only be made to special people, businesses will spread to such an extent that the woman will help her husband in business, family ties will be broken, false testimony, true testimony will be closed, and the pen will become apparent.” (Ahmad, Hâkim)

5) Love in youth and service in old age – Allâh ta’ala declares, “And from amongst His signs is that He created for your benefit from Yourselves partners, so that you may attain solace by her, and He has placed between you love and mercy.” Love is found in youth when a man’s desires and passions are at a peak. In old age, when desires diminish, Allâh ta’ala places mercy in their hearts so that they serve one another. Even in old age, man needs companionship. It is the height of mercilessness to prevent an old person from remarrying. Many children, in their foolishness, and mostly out of fear of losing a portion of inheritance money, refuse to allow their widowed parents to remarry after their spouse has passed on. This is completely incorrect.

Hadrat Thânwî. rahimahullah, writes, “In Shahjahanpur, a man of 90 remarried. His children and daughters-in-law became upset, saying that they would serve him and that there was no need to remarry. He remarked, “What do you know of my needs? None can comfort me like a wife.” Sometime later, he became severely ill. He would pass so much of stool that even the area adjacent to him would stink. Not one of his children would even come close to him. His wife, who was of a younger age, and recently married, would purify him and cleanse his clothing, even if he messed 25 times a day. On this occasion, he remarked, “I married for this day.” After he recovered, he called for his children and said, “You have seen how much of service you could do. You used to say, “What is the need?” Now you have seen the need. If I did not have a wife, you would have left me and I would have laid here alone.”

Besides this, man needs company and solace. In old age, the need for companionship intensifies. By denying him this right, he passes his last years of life in frustration, often thrown around and without happiness. If the father or mother decides to remarry, the children should readily accept this decision, and assist them in whatever way possible.