Let's Change Our Mindsets About Marriage* *Episode 151* *ADVANTAGES OF MARRIAGE FOR INDIVIDUALS

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*Let's Change Our Mindsets About Marriage*

*Episode 151*

*ADVANTAGES OF MARRIAGE FOR INDIVIDUALS*

Being ordained by Allah the Most Wise and All-Knowing, marriage is sure to have many virtues and advantages. In what follows we list a number of them.

1, PRESERVATION OF FAITH AND RELIGION

Righteous spouses assist one another in preserving their Din by offering help, support, and advice that enable them to obey Allah and abstain from sinning. Anas (%) reported that the Prophet (48) said:

"When Allah grants one a righteous wife, He has helped him (by that) to preserve half of his religion. Let him then fear and revere Allah in regard to the other half. '

In another report from Anas (8), the Prophet said:

"When a servant (of Allah) marries, He has (by that) completed half of his religion. Let him then fear and revere Allah in regard to the other half”

Anas also reported that Allah’s Messenger said:

"When a person marries, He has (by that) completed half of his faith. Let him then fear and revere Allah in regard to the remaining half "

2. PRESERVATION OF CHASTITY

Men have a natural desire for women, and vice versa. Satan takes advantage of that to entice men and move their lusts when a woman approaches or moves away from them. He pictures her to them in an attractive and appealing form, which may lead them to various forms of sinning in compliance with their lusts.

Usamah Bin Zayd (1) reported that Allah’s Messenger (@) said:

"I have not left after me a trial more harmful to men than women'

A married person has a quick means of protection against the Devil’s whispers and seduction. Jabir (4%) reported that the Messenger of Allah said:

"A woman approaches in the (tempting) form of a devil, and moves away in the (tempting) form of a devil. When any of you finds in a woman something that attracts him, he should go to his wife, because she has the same as the other woman has, and that

satisfies his desire (in a lawful way). ”

3. ENJOYING LOVE, MERCY AND SECURITY

Love and mercy are important sentiments that brighten one’s life and give him a feeling of reassurance, security, and happiness. One of Allah’s (8%) great favors is the love and mercy that He instills among the married couple. They dwell into each other, just as one dwells into a house that gives him protection, security, and happiness. Allah (3%) says: 

«And among His signs is that He created for you, from yourselves, spouses that you may dwell (in joy and security) unto them, and He set between you love and mercy; surely in that are signs for those who reflect.» '

Furthermore, there is a wonderful feel of closeness between the married couple — similar to the closeness of a garment to a person’s body. They provide for each other protection, comfort, and cover. Allah () says:

«They are a garment for you and you are a garment to them.» ”

4, LAWFUL FULFILLMENT OF DESIRE

As is indicated above, Allah (48) has instilled in human beings the desire for the opposite gender. This desire may be satisfied in unlawful ways that would have destructive effects on the individuals and societies — as is detailed later in this book.

Alternatively, one of Allah’s great favors on us is that he provided us with marriage as a lawful channel for venting our desires. Ibn ‘Umar and Ibn ‘Amr (a) reported that the Prophet (88) said:

‘This life is a temporary accommodation, and the best of its accommodations is a righteous wife. *

Ibn ‘Abbas () reported that a man came to the Prophet () and said, “We have an orphan girl under our custody. A poor man and a rich man have both courted her. She prefers the poor man, but we prefer the rich man. (What should we do?)” The Prophet () responded:

For those who like each other, nothing has proven as good as marriage. '

5. PLEASURABLE Way OF INCREASING Good DEEDS

Not only is marriage a lawful means of fulfilling a person’s desire, but is also a means of increasing one’s balance of good deeds.

Abi Tharr () reported that some of the companions of Allah’s Messenger  complained to him. “O Allah's Messenger! The

wealthy people have taken away all of the rewards. They pray as we do and fast as we do, and they give charities from their extra monies.” He  replied:

But has Allah not given you that which you may offer as charity? Verily:

~Every tasbih (saying “Subhanallah — Exalted is Allah’’) is a charity;

~Every Takbir (saying “Allahu akbar — Allah is the Greatest’’) is a charity;

~Every tahlil (saying “La ildha illallah — There is no true deity except Allah”) is a charity;

~Every tahmid (saying “Al-hamdu lillah — Praise be to Allah’) is a charity;

~Commanding good is a charity;

~Forbidding the evil is a charity;

~And having intercourse (with your wife) is a charity.

The companions asked, “O Allah’s Messenger, does a person even receive a reward for fulfilling his desire?” He (&) responded:

<Assume that he directed it toward a prohibition (zina), would that not result in a burden for him?

They replied, “Yes, indeed.” He  deduced:

Therefore, if he directs it toward that which is permissible (his wife), he gets a reward for it.

The companions asked, “O Allah’s Messenger, does a person even receive a reward for fulfilling his desire?” He (&) responded:

<Assume that he directed it toward a prohibition (zina), would that not result in a burden for him?

They replied, “Yes, indeed.” He  deduced:

Therefore, if he directs it toward that which is permissible (his wife), he gets a reward for it.

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{To be continued In-sha-Allāh (If Allāh Wills)...}

"And keep reminding, because reminding benefits the believers." (Qur-ān 51:55)