The institution of marriage was established by Allah at the beginning of creation. The Prophet Adam (upon him be peace) was married to his wife Eve (upon her be peace). From this moment, Allah prescribed the forming of marital unions in order to benefit the faith, the family, the society, and the love and companionship of the married.

Allah said:

O Adam, live with your wife in Paradise and eat from wherever you will but do not approach this tree, lest you be among the wrongdoers. (Al-A`raf 7:19)

As it is written in the Torah:

Therefore, a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh. (Genesis 2:24)

As it is written in the Gospel:

From the beginning of creation, Allah made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what Allah has joined together, let not man put asunder. (Mark 10:6-9)

Benefits of Faith

Marriage serves the purpose of bringing together a husband and wife as believers in their Lord, who will walk the path of Islam together in submission to the Creator of the universe.

Allah said:

Allah has promised the believing men and believing women gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will live eternally, and pleasant dwellings in gardens of perpetual residence, but approval from Allah is greater. That is the great success. (At-Tawbah 9:72)

Abu Hurairah reported: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

“A woman is married for four reasons: her property, her status, her beauty, and her religion; so choose according to religion”. (Muslim)

Fatimah bint Qays reported: The Messenger of Allah said to me: “When you are lawful for marriage, then call for me”. So she called for him when she received proposals from Mu`awiya ibn Abi Sufyan, Abu Al-Jahm, and Usamah ibn Zayd. The Messenger of Allah said:

“As for Mu`awiya, then he is a poor man without any wealth (and cannot provide for you), and as for Abu Al-Jahm, he frequently beats women; rather, you should choose Usama.”

She gestured with her hand saying that she did not want to marry Usama, but the Messenger of Allah said to her:

“Obedience to Allah and His Messenger is better for you.” (Ahmad)

So Fatimah married Usamah and she was so happy that she was envied by others.

Benefits of Family

Marriage serves the purpose of bringing two families together, encouraging reconciliation between them, protecting the rights of women and children, and producing righteous offspring who will be happy in this life and the Hereafter.

Allah said:

Live with them in kindness, for if you dislike them, then perhaps you dislike something but Allah has placed therein much good. (An-Nisa’ 4:19)

And Allah said:

The believers say: Our Lord, grant us from among our wives and offspring joy to our eyes and make us an example for the righteous. (Al-Furqan 25:74)

`A’ishah reported: The Messenger of Allah said:

“The best of you are the best to their families, and I am the best to my family”. (At-Tirmidhi)

Abu Hurairah reported: The Messenger of Allah said:

“The most complete of the believers in faith are those with the best character, and the best of you are the best in behavior to their women”. (At-Tirmidhi)

Benefits of Society

Marriage serves the purpose of strengthening the common good through stable family relationships, reconciling Muslims with the peoples of the scripture, and emancipating slaves.

Allah said:

Lawful in marriage are chaste women from among the believers and chaste women from among those who were given the Scripture before you, when you have given them their due compensation, desiring chastity, not unlawful sexual intercourse or taking secret lovers. (Al-Ma’idah 5:5)

And Allah said:

Marry the unmarried among you and the righteous among your male slaves and female slaves. If they should be poor, Allah will enrich them from His bounty, for Allah is All-Encompassing and Knowing. (An-Nur 24:32)

Burda reported: The Messenger of Allah said:

“A man will have a double reward who owns a servant girl and he mentors her, teaches her , and educates her in the best way, then he emancipates her and marries her.” (Al-Bukhari)

Benefits of Love and Companionship

Marriage serves the purpose of fostering love and companionship between a husband and wife, promoting their happiness, and respecting their complementary nature.

Allah said:

Among His signs is that He created for you mates from yourselves that you may find tranquility in them, and He placed between you love and mercy. Verily, in that are signs for a people who give thought. (Ar-Rum 30:21)

And Allah said:

Exalted is He who created all pairs – from what the earth grows and from themselves and from that which they do not know. (Ya-Sin 36:36)

And Allah said:

O mankind, verily, We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. (Al-Hujurat 49:13)

Anas ibn Malik reported:

“`Abdur-Rahman ibn `Awf married a woman and he gave her the weight of a date stone in gold as a dowry. The Prophet noticed the signs of happiness on his face, so he asked him about it and `Abdur-Rahman said:

‘Indeed, I have married a woman and I have given her the weight of a date stone in gold’.” (Al-Bukhari)

Ibn `Abbas reported: The Messenger of Allah said:

“We do not see for those who love one another anything like marriage.” (Ibn Majah)

`A’ishah reported: The Messenger of Allah said:

“Verily, women are only the counterparts of men.”  (Ahmad)

Success comes from Allah, and Allah knows best.

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Source: faithinAllah.org.