Marriage in Islam: “And We created you in pairs.” Quran (78:8)
In Islam, marriage is the most paramount relationship between a male and a female and vitalizing for the foundation of family life. There are numberless Quranic verses about marriage. Marriage is regarded as the ritual of prophets and significant in fulfilling the physical, psychological, mental, social, economic, sexual, and emotional needs of an individual, whether the person is male or female.
Purpose of Marriage in Islam:
in Islam, marital relationships are not restrained to just spiritual or platonic relationships between husband and wife, nor they are just meant for procreation or extending one’s race. The term ‘nikkah’ is used in Islam to describe the legal relationship of marriage and it literally means ‘sexual intercourse’.
This is because Islam fully comprehends the sexual needs of an individual and wants that sexual instincts of anybody cannot and must not be suppressed. Fulfillment of sexual desires is necessary for the satisfied and successful life of humans.
Importance of Marriage in Islam:
Islam has given even more importance to the romantic life of the married couples than doing meditation.
Once a woman visited Prophet (S.A.W) and said that she made every attempt to tempt her husband but in vain; he does not omit his prayers to make love to her. Prophet asked her to tell him about the reward of sexual intercourse with her wife as follows:
“When a man gets closer to his wife, he is protected by two angels. And at that moment (in Allah’s view), he is like a warrior fighting for the cause of Allah. When he performs intercourse with her, his sins fall like the leaves of the trees in autumn. When he does the Ghusl (major ablution), he is purified from his sins.”
Love marriage in Islam:
Undoubtedly, love marriage is allowed in Islam, provided that you don’t cross the boundaries, entering into Haram. If you want to know the boundaries, focus on this Hadith of Prophet Muhammad:
“It is better for a man to have a steel nail pricked into his head, rather than to touch the palm of an unknown woman”
It means if you’re holding the hands of your beloved, or meeting or dating her, you’re doing Haram. Also, talking to her lovingly is not allowed.
The only legal way to approach her is to talk to her family for her hand for marriage. If they get agreed to your proposal, you can marry her by following Islamic rituals and vogues. Also, if they don’t agree, you must eradicate her thoughts from mind and heart, just believing that what Allah does not give, will not be suitable for us. Also, you are not permitted to meet her or talk to her in loneliness.
Minimum age for marriage in Islam:
There is no specific age for marriage fixed in Islam; it is just ordered in Islam that when a boy or a girl reaches puberty, they should get married. Here, puberty does not only mean physical maturity but also means they should be mature enough to understand the good and bad and different responsibilities in life. It is better to do cousin marriages in Islam because families unite and also, there is a well understanding between the family members and bride and groom as well.
From above described Quranic verses about marriage, we can estimate the importance of marriage in the survival of society and an individual.