The Encouragement To Marry Sunan Abi Dawud 2046
Alqamah said: I was walking with Abdullah ibn Masud in Mina when Uthman met him and took him aside for a private conversation. When Abdullah perceived that he had no need for privacy, he said to me, "Come, O Alqamah!" So I came, and Uthman said to him, "Shall we not marry you, O Abu Abd al-Rahman, to a virgin girl, so that perhaps what you used to experience of your youthful vigor may return to you?" Abdullah replied, "If you say that, I indeed heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saying: 'Whoever among you can afford the burden of marriage, let him marry, for it is more effective in lowering the gaze and better at preserving chastity; and whoever cannot afford it, let him fast, for it will be a shield for him.'"
Marriage (Kitab Al-Nikah) - Sunan Abi Dawud 2046
This narration from Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) through Alqamah presents profound wisdom regarding marriage in Islam. The exchange between Uthman and Abdullah demonstrates the companions' mutual concern for one another's spiritual and physical well-being.
Scholarly Commentary
Uthman's suggestion to Abdullah bin Mas'ud to marry a young woman reflects the Islamic principle that marriage revitalizes one's spiritual and physical state. The term "power you have lost" refers to both physical vitality and spiritual strength that marriage can restore through lawful intimacy.
Abdullah's response with the Prophet's teaching establishes marriage as a divinely prescribed protection for the believer. The phrase "keeps you from looking at strange women" indicates that marriage safeguards the gaze, while "preserve from unlawful intercourse" protects the private parts - two fundamental aspects of chastity in Islam.
The conditional nature of this ruling - "those of you who can support a wife" - demonstrates Islam's practical approach. Financial capability is a prerequisite, preventing hardship upon both spouses. For those unable to marry, fasting serves as an effective spiritual discipline to control desires, as the Prophet described it as a shield.
Legal Rulings Derived
Marriage is highly recommended (mustahabb) for those with financial means as it protects one's chastity.
Financial capability (nafaqah) is a necessary condition for marriage to ensure dignity and stability.
Fasting serves as an alternative spiritual practice for those unable to marry, functioning as a means to control sexual desire.
The companions' mutual counseling in religious matters exemplifies the collective responsibility Muslims have toward one another's spiritual welfare.