“Marry those of you that are single (whether men or women) and those of your male or female slaves that are righteous. If they are poor, Allah will enrich them out of His Bounty. Allah is infinite in His resources and All-Knowing.”
(Al-Qur’ān – 24:32)
This āyahof the Qur’ān aims at keeping society morally healthy by ensuring that members of a society do not remain unmarried. It encourages the members of the family, friends and neighbours to take a keen interest in the marriage of those who do not have anyone to look after them.
The statement that ‘if they are poor, Allah will enrich them out of His Bounty’ obviously does not mean that God necessarily confers affluence on everyone who marries. Instead, the point that is being emphasised here is that when it comes to considering marriage, people should not be fussy about their financial situation.
The āyahalso offers useful guidance to the guardians of unmarried girls. They are virtually being told that if they receive any proposal from a good-charactered person, they should not turn it down simply because he is presently not too well off. Likewise, the relatives of the prospective bridegroom are advised not to delay marriage on the grounds that he is not earning much. The youth are also being told not to delay marriage simply because of financial considerations. Even if they have little income they should still marry, reposing their trust in God’s munificence. Quite often it so happens that one’s marriage changes one’s circumstances for the better.