When is it obligatory for men to get married?

is it obligatory for men to get
married?

Praise be to Allaah.

The ruling on marriage for men differs
according to their situations and circumstances. Marriage is obligatory on the man who is
able to marry and longs to get married, and fears “hardship” otherwise, because
it is obligatory for him to protect himself from doing haraam deeds and to keep himself
chaste – and this can only be achieved through marriage.

Al-Qurtubi said: if a person is able to marry and fears that
he may be harmed or his religious commitment may be adversely affected if he remains
single, the only way to prevent this harm is through marriage, and there is no difference
of opinion among the scholars – they agree that marriage is obligatory on such a
person.

Al-Mardaawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his book Al-Insaaf:
Part Three: the one who fears “hardship”. In the case of such a person, marriage
is obligatory, and this is the unanimous opinion of the scholars…
“Hardship” here means zinaa (fornication), according to the correct opinion. Or
it was said that it means being doomed by committing zinaa… What is meant by
“Unless he fears that he may fall into committing forbidden actions” means, if
he knows or thinks that he will do that. In Al-Furoo’ it says: (marriage)
becomes obligatory only when he is sure that he will do that. (Al-Insaaf,
part 8; Kitaab al-Nikaah, Ahkaam al-Nikaah).

If he wants to get married but is unable to
spend on a wife, then he should adhere to the words of Allaah (interpretation of the
meaning):

“And let those who find not the financial means for
marriage keep themselves chaste, until Allâh enriches them of His Bounty” [al-Noor
24:33]

So he should fast a lot, because of the hadeeth narrated from
Ibn Mas’ood who said that the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: “O young people, whoever among you can afford to get married, let him
do so, for it helps one to lower the gaze and protect the private parts (i.e., remain
chaste). Whoever cannot afford it, let him fast, for it is a protection for him.”

‘Umar said to Abu’l-Zawaa’id: “Nothing is
stopping you from getting married except incapacity or immorality.” (See Fiqh
Al-Sunnah, 2/15-17)

Marriage is obligatory on anyone who is single
and committing sin such as looking or kissing. If a man or women knows or thinks it most
likely that if he does not get married he will commit zinaa – or whatever comes under
the same rulings or is similar to it, such as masturbation, then marriage is obligatory.
It is still obligatory even if a person knows that he will still commit sin after
marriage, because once he is married he will be less likely to commit sin, because he will
be distracted from it at least part of the time, whereas if he remains single he will
commit sin all the time.

Anyone who looks at the state of things in our times, how
there is so much immorality and so much temptation, will be convinced that the obligation
to marry is even more important now than at any time in the past. We ask Allaah to purify
our hearts, keep us away from haraam things and help us to be chaste. May Allaah bless our
Prophet Muhammad.

Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid