Social Advantages Of Marriage

Marriage has many advantages to the society as a whole. In what follows  we list a number of them.

1. PRESERVING HUMANKIND

Marriage fulfills Allah’s law for the reproduction, as we have discussed earlier. Thus it constitutes a correct means of preserving humankind until Allah inherits the Earth and all what is on it.

2. PRESERVING KINSHIP TIES

Contrary to zinaa, marriage preserves and reveres the kinship ties. It establishes the paternal relationships between the children and their parents, giving them all a feeling of dignity and self esteem. That strengthens the feelings of love and care within the society. 

3. SAFEGUARDING THE SOCIETY FROM MORAL DEGENERACY

Marriage is the proper way to establishing correct and permissible relationships between men and women. This helps maintain chastity, and protects the Muslim individuals from slipping into the filth of zinaa and other sins related to it (which will be fully discussed in a subsequent chapter). Thus, marriage closes the door in the face of many acts of moral degeneracy and decadence, which are among the major causes for the destruction of societies.

4. SAFEGUARDING THE SOCIETY FROM PHYSICAL DISEASES

Together with zinaa and its related vices comes a host of destructive diseases. Among those are: gonorrhea, syphilis, venereal ulcers, and, most recently, AIDS. Marriage is an important means of protecting the society from these and many other diseases that can be easily transmitted, and that do not even spare children.

5. ESTABLISHING THE FAMILY ENVIRONMENT

Marriage is a necessary step toward establishing a healthy environment for nurturing and rearing children. Our children are the fruits of our generation and the future men and women of our Ummah. Through good marriages, we furnish them with the love, mercy, compassion, and guidance that they need for proper growth and development.

6. INCREASING THE NUMBER OF MUSLIMS

In Islam, what counts is not quantity alone, but quantity together with quality. Therefore, we are urged to increase the number of Good Muslims – not superficial Muslims. Good Muslims are those who live by Allah’s commands and follow His Messenger’s (Peace be upon him) guidance. Such are the people who should increase and multiply so as to establish Allah’s religion in this life and enter His gardens in the next.

A Muslim should marry with the intention of increasing the number of righteous Muslims. Subsequently, he should strive to raise his family upon to the true religion. Only then, would they be among the numbers of Muslims who will please and delight Allah’s Messenger (Peace be upon him) on Judgment Day to the extent that he will boast about them in front of the multitudes of nations who will be present.

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah’s Messenger (Peace be upon him) said:

“Marry, because I will exhibit your large numbers (on Judgment Day).”

 Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah’s Messenger (Peace be upon him) said:

“Marry so that (on Judgment Day) I will be delighted by your out numbering other nations. Do not practice monasticism like the Christians.”