The importance of early marriage is growing in the current era with increasing intermingling between the two genders, spreading temptations, multiple avenues of immorality, and the numerous attractions facing young people of both genders. Meanwhile, some societies make it difficult by imposing excessive conditions that limit pursuing it. Allah said about marriage: “And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquility in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought.” (Ar-Rum: 21)
Marriage is a prophetic tradition commanded by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): “Young man, those of you who can support a wife should marry, for it keeps you from looking at strange women and preserves you from immorality; but those who cannot should devote themselves to fasting, for it is a means of suppressing sexual desire.” (Agreed upon) The Prophet also said: “Yet I pray and sleep; I fast and break my fast; and I marry women. He who is displeased with my Sunnah (practices) is not my followed.” (Agreed upon)
Encouragement for marriage does not need reminders of religious evidence from the Quran and Sunnah, as it is a well-known necessity of religion. However, some overlook or ignore the benefits of early marriage due to being occupied with travel, education, or earning money. Sometimes parents delay the matter for their children due to overemphasis on wedding preparations, such as housing and others, causing young people to marry at the age of thirty or forty in some Arab countries.
Ibn al-Jawzi said in his book “Ahkam al-Nisa”: “It was said: haste is from Shaitan except in five things: feeding the guest when they arrive, preparing the dead when they die, marrying off a girl when she matures, repaying a debt when it becomes due, and repenting from sin when it is committed.”
These lines remind all parties of the importance and benefits of early marriage and the preference to pursue it without procrastination, as the negative and disastrous results may open doors of vice and immorality in society.
First: Marriage safeguards both parties, preserves chastity, and satisfies natural desires. The Prophet (peace be upon him) addressed his companions, saying: “And in the bud`i [sexual act] of each one of you there is a charity.” They said, “O Messenger of Allah, when one of us fulfils his carnal desire will he have some reward for that?” He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Do you not see that if he were to act upon it [his desire] in an unlawful manner then he would be deserving of punishment?” (Narrated by Muslim)
Second: Marriage prevents adultery and depravity and shields society from immorality. Early marriage, when youth are at their peak of sexual drive, is undoubtedly more effective in achieving this goal.
Third: Early marriage allows for the formation of a family at a younger age compared to those who delay marriage. A young married man could become a father in his twenties, providing a stable and secure environment for raising children and enjoying life more, seeing his children grow while he is still in his youth.
Fourth: Marriage fosters responsibility in both parties, enhancing their ability to face life's challenges. The young man will be responsible for a wife and a child or more, and the wife will become a mother and caretaker in her husband's home. Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “All of you are guardians and are responsible for your wards. The ruler is a guardian and responsible for his subjects; the man is a guardian and responsible for his family; the woman is a guardian and is responsible for her husbands house and his offspring; and so all of you are guardians and are responsible for your wards.” (Agreed upon)
Fifth: Marriage improves overall health, promotes a healthier lifestyle with better dietary habits, reducing the intake of fast food and dining out, which positively impacts health.
Sixth: Marriage provides both parties with a good psychological and emotional state, reducing stress and depression levels, and increasing happiness through a loving marital relationship. Those who marry early experience lower levels of stress compared to those who delay marriage, according to recent studies.
Seventh: Early marriage helps build a wide social network through in-laws, meaning gaining a new family and forming strong relationships with new individuals outside one's immediate family.
Eighth: This step encourages financial stability for men, pushing them to improve their job situation and work seriously to ensure a decent life for their family and a bright future for their children. Those who marry early feel the responsibility to achieve their professional goals.
Ninth: Early marriage brings many psychological benefits, including emotional, moral, and literary support from the partner, providing security, partnership, and continuous motivation towards success and stability. These benefits cannot be achieved by delaying marriage, which brings about frustration, depression, loneliness, and isolation.
Tenth: Both parties acquire new skills in prioritizing, crisis management, and effective communication through their interaction as a couple, helping them face challenges and accelerating their personal growth. This, in turn, grants society strong personalities, whether male or female.
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