Marriage

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "A woman was punished on account of a cat which she held captive till it died. Hence, she entered the Hell-Fire due to (her mistreatment of) the cat. She did not feed it or give it water while she held it captive, nor did she let it out so that it may eat the things that creep on the earth."[Agreed upon].

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said to us, "O young men, those of you who can support a wife should marry, for it (marriage) controls the gaze and preserves one from immorality. And whoever cannot (marry) should fast, for it is a means of reducing the sexual desire."[Agreed upon].

The Prophet (ﷺ) praised Allah, extolled Him and 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].

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to command us to marry and sternly forbid celibacy and say, "Marry women who are beloved (due to their good characteristics), prolific in bearing children, for I shall outnumber the Prophets by you on the Day of Resurrection."[Reported by Ahmad and Ibn Hibban graded it Sahih (authentic)].

The aforesaid Hadith has a supporting narration reported by Abu Dawud. an-Nasa'i and Ibn Hibban from Ma'qal bin Yasar's Hadith.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "A woman is married for four qualities, for her wealth, her family status, her beauty and her religion: so get the religious one and prosper."[Agreed upon, with the rest of the as-Sab'a].

When the Prophet (ﷺ) congratulated a man on his marriage he would say, "Allah bless for you (your spouse), grant you blessing, and join you together in goodness."[Reported by Ahmad and al-Arba'a. at-Tirmidhi, Ibn Khuzaimah and Ibn Hibban graded it Sahih (authentic)].

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) taught us Tashahhud in case of some need, which is: "Praise is due to Allah, Whom we praise and from Whom we ask help and forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evils of ourselves. He whom Allah guides has no one who can lead him astray, and he whom He leads astray has no one to guide him. I testify that there is nothing deserving of worship except Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger." He (then) recites three Verses.[Reported by Ahmad and al-Arba'a. at-Tirmidhi and al-Hakim graded it Hasan (good)].

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "When one of you proposes (marriage) to a woman, if he is able to look at what will induce him to marry her, he should do so."[Reported by Ahmad and Abu Dawud. Its narrators are Thiqa (reliable) and al-Hakim declared it to be Sahih (authentic)].

The aforesaid Hadith has a Shahid (supporting narration) reported by at-Tirmidhi and an-Nasa'i from al-Mughirah.

It also has a Shahid (supporting narration) reported by Ibn Majah and Ibn Hibban from the Hadith of Muhammad bin Maslamah.

The Prophet (ﷺ) asked a man who had intended to marry a woman, "Have you looked at her" He replied, "No." He said, "Go and look at her."

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "No one of you should ask a woman in marriage when his brother has done so already, until the one who has proposed (to her) before him gives her up, or gives him permission."[Agreed upon. The wording is al-Bukhari's].

A woman came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said, "O Allah's Messenger, I came to offer myself to you (in marriage)." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) looked her up and down (carefully), and then Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) lowed his head. When the woman saw that he had not made any decision regarding her she sat down. A man of his companions then stood up and said, "O Allah's Messenger, if you have no need for her, marry her to me." He asked, "Do you have anything (to give her as dowry)?" He replied, "No, I swear by Allah, O Allah's Messenger." He thereupon said, "Go to your family and see if you can find something." He went and then returned and said, "No, I swear by Allah I found nothing." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) then said, "Look for something, even if it should be an iron ring." He went and then returned and said, "No, I swear by Allah, O Allah's Messenger, not even an iron ring; but I have onl this lower garment of mine - [Sahl said, 'He had no upper garment'] - and I shall give her half of it." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) then said, "What will she do with your lower garment? For if you wear it, there would be nothing of it on her, and if she wears it, there would be nothing of it on you." The man then sat down and when he had sit for a long time he stood up and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saw him departing, so he commanded him and he was called back. When he came back, he said, "What do you have (i.e. memorized) from the Qur'an?" He replied, "I have Surat such and such and Surat such and such," he counted them. He then asked "Can you recited them by heart?" He replied, "Yes." He said, "Go, for I have given her to you in marriage for the part of the Qur'an which you know."[Agreed upon; the wording is Muslim's].Another narration has: "Go for I have given her to you in marriage, so teach her some of Qur'an."A narration by al-Bukhari has: "I have married her to you for the part of the Qur'an which you know."

He asked, "What have you memorized?" He replied, "Surat al-Baqarah and the one that follows it." He then said. "Get up and teach her twenty Verses."

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "Make marriage publicly known."[Reported by Ahmad and al-Hakim graded it Sahih (authentic)].

"There is no marriage without a guardian."[Ahmad and al-Arba'a reported it. Ibn al-Madini, at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Hibban graded it Sahih (authentic), but it was regarded defective for being Mursal (missing link after the Tabi'i)].

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "If anyone married without the consent of her guardian, her marriage is invalid. If there is cohabitation, she is entitled to the dowry, due to the sexual intercourse made lawful with her. If there is a dispute (between her guardian), the ruler is the guardian of one who has no guardian."[Reported by al-Arba'a except an-Nasa'i. Abu 'Awanah, Ibn Hibban and al-Hakim graded it Sahih (authentic)].

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "A previously married woman must not be married till she is consulted, and a virgin must not be married till her consent is asked." They asked, "O Allah's Messenger, how is her consent indicated?" He replied, "It is by her silence."[Agreed upon].