The Maqasid (Goals) of Nikah (Marriage)

By Ismail Khadar

Marriage (Nikah) is one of the most sacred and important relationships in Islam. The Quran and Sunnah are full of rules, advice, and discussions on marriage. Every Fiqh compendium has a Kitab al-Nikah (Book of Marriage), and historically every young Muslim dream of getting married one day.

But in this generation, things seem to have changed. A growing number of young men and women are averse to marriage and even afraid of it. They fail to see the need of marriage, the point of marriage, or the benefits of marriage.

“Why can’t I be happy by myself? Why do I need someone?” have become common questions. Fear of responsibility, change, and especially abuse have turned these young Muslims away from marriage. The big question on their mind is what the point of marriage is and what do I get out of it. In this article, I hope to answer that question.

The Concept of Maqasid:

Allah is Al-Hakeem (Most Wise) therefore every law He has legislated has wisdom in it. Sometimes we may not know that wisdom, but we follow the law anyway, because we trust the Infinite Wisdom of Allah. Based on this, scholars have divided the laws of Islam into two categories: ta’abuddi and aqli. Ta’abuddi means that we do not know the wisdom behind the law but follow it anyway. Examples of Ta’abuddi laws are praying a specific number of Rakah for each Salah. Aqli means that the law is rational, in that humans can easily identify the benefits of following that law, marriage falls into this category. The benefits of marriage, and the laws surrounding marriage, all have clear rational goals and objectives.

The Shariah has two primary goals: to facilitate that which is beneficial and to ward off that which is harmful. The legislation of marriage facilitates a lot of benefits that we will discuss below. Likewise, the prohibition of adultery and fornication protects society from the harms of these sins, which we will explore in a future article.

In generally, the Shariah exists to protect six things that are necessary for society to function properly:

1) The religion itself – prayers, fasting, and the various acts of worship exist to protect the religiosity of people and society.

2) Human life – the prohibition of murder, unjust violence, and abuse all exist to protect the sanctity of human life.

3) Lineage – The prohibition of fornication and the legislation of marriage both exist to preserve the lineage of people.

4) Wealth – The prohibition of interest, gambling and stealing all exist to protect people’s wealth. The right to wealth and property ownership is a necessary part of the Shariah

5) Intellect – The prohibition of intoxicants protects the minds of people, while the recommendation to seek knowledge develops those minds further.

6) Honour/Dignity – Izzah (which our academy is named after) is the sixth goal of the Shariah according to many scholars. The concept of marriage exists to protect the honour and dignity of people and society.

The Preservation of Dignity (Izzah)
O you who believe! Do not follow Satan’s footsteps. Whoever follows Satan’s footsteps—he advocates obscenity and immorality. Were it not for God’s grace towards you, and His mercy, not one of you would have been pure, ever. But God purifies whomever He wills. God is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. (Surah al-Nur 24:21)

A Muslim must live a dignified life. The benefit of living a dignified lifestyle is that a person is respected by society, received more opportunities for growth, and in general enjoys a health social life. Dignity comes from being righteous, having good character and manners, and avoiding public sins. A primary source of dignity is a strong marriage.

Marriage indicates that a person has chosen to live a chaste morally upright life. It indicates commitment, loyalty, love, and a general sense of God-consciousness. This does not mean that a single person is not worthy of respect, it simply means that marriage is a means of increasing that respect when done right. A single person who avoids sin is still doing enough to preserve their dignity, but marriage can help them reach higher levels of happiness and self-fulfillment.

The Preservation of Lineage (Nasab)

Call them after their fathers; that is more equitable with God. But if you do not know their fathers, then your brethren in faith and your friends. There is no blame on you if you err therein, barring what your hearts premeditates. God is Forgiving and Merciful. (Surah al-Ahzaab 33:5)

Families are very important in Islam. Marital intimacy is the only legitimate way to produce children in the modern world. Muslims are encouraged to produce and raise righteous children. This allows Islam to grow in numbers and quality, leading to the fulfilment of other goals of the Shariah too.

When children are born out of wedlock, it can result in confusion about lineage. This can cause long-term psychological harm to such children and may lead them down dangerous paths in life. To preserve both the lineage and dignity of children, they must be produced through marriage. This facilitates for children to be born into loving homes, where they can be nurtured and grow to their full potential.

Companionship & Love (Suhbah & Muwaddah)

And of His signs is that He created for you mates from among yourselves, so that you may find tranquility in them; and He planted love and compassion between you. In this are signs for people who reflect. (Surah al-Rum 30:21)

Allah created humans with emotional needs, including the need for companionship. The only permitted method today for experiencing this deep level of love and companionship is through marriage. Without marriage, there is a strong chance that an individual may become extremely lonely, which in turn may lead to depression and lack of productivity.

Marriage produces strong bonds of love that help get one through tough times. A loving spouse is the best shoulder to lean on during times of crisis, which life is full of. The companionship of marriage does not refer to one’s spouse only. Marriage produces children (in shaa Allah) whom in turn produce grandchildren. This cycle ensures that in the later stages of life, an elderly person is not lonely because they still have the love and companionship of their descendants.

Peace of Mind (Sakinah)

And of His signs is that He created for you mates from among yourselves, so that you may find tranquility in them; and He planted love and compassion between you. In this are signs for people who reflect. (Surah al-Rum 30:21)

A final goal of marriage is to produce homes of peace. The world is a difficult place full of trial and hardship. Life can be overwhelming without someone to share it with. A happy home is a place of peace where a person can forget their outside worries and find solace in the arms of their spouse and children. This has amazing long-term benefits for one’s emotional health.

The above goals cannot be achieved by simply signing a Nikah contract and fulfilling the bare minimum fiqh requirements. Marriages are built on many factors that are not talked about often today. Islam has prescribed different roles for men and women within a marriage, each of which have their own goals and wisdom. Men are required to provide, protect, and lead their families to a bright future in both worlds. Women are required to nurture children and turn their houses into homes of peace, love, and beauty. To achieve these goals, both genders need to learn how to fulfil their roles best.