Causes, Consequences, and Remedies of Delayed Marriage: An Analytical Study in the Light of Holy Prophet Teachings

Abstract

Islam has established a lawful path for marriage to protect humanity from sexual immorality and to form a pure society. On one hand, it has commanded individuals who can take responsibility for their wife's sustenance, housing, and clothing to marry. On the other hand, it has prohibited parents from delaying marriage after their children reach puberty. Islam has provided humanity with a high, noble, and comprehensive system of chastity and modesty in the form of marriage, through which every adult man and woman can nurture the continuity and survival of humanity while maintaining natural and moderate sexual inclinations and protecting themselves from immoralities and vices. The religion of Islam teaches us moderation; therefore, we should not abandon moderation in matters of marriage. In the Islamic family system, marriage is the means to establish relationships between spouses. However, despite this reality, we often observe significant delays in marriage. There is no doubt that sometimes delays in marriage are due to divine will, where an individual may not have the opportunity for timely marriage as per their destiny. However, in some cases, delays occur due to our own actions and behaviour’s, leading to various issues later. For example, delays can arise due to demands for dowries, marrying within the same community, searching for a specific ideal partner, prioritizing higher education for daughters, or waiting for the elder sister to marry before considering the younger sister's marriage. Therefore, this article will discuss in detail the reasons for delays in marriage and their disadvantages, followed by suggestions for solutions based on prophetic teachings.