Who to Marry?

[Mustafa al-Muhaajir]

Who to Marry?

By Shaykh Mashhoor Salmaan (one of the students of Shaykh Al-Albaani)

Translated by: Hisham Assing


Question: I am in the initial stages of seeking knowledge, and I want to get married. Do you advise me to marry (a sister) who is not a student of knowledge?

Answer: I do not advise the Muslim to marry anyone besides a student of knowledge because for you to have the mother (of your children) who is jaahil …then this is an affliction that the mother is ignorant. How will she teach the children? Let's assume a woman is not pretty, she does not have a beautiful complexion, nor is she tall. However she teaches your children thereby saving them from the fire. Or on the other hand, a mother who is mashaAllaah pretty, attractive, tall, does not teach them the Quraan and causes them to enter into the fire. Who is better? The first or the second? By Allaah the first is better. So success for you and your children...at least she would remind you if you forget, and she could teach you if you don't know. It is possible to learn from a woman.

Sa'eed Ibn Musayb had a daughter named Faatimah whom the khalifah asked to marry his son, however he refused to do so instead marrying her to one of his students. When the daughter of Imaam Maalik got married, her husband wanted to attend the class of his shaykh, so she asked him "Where are you going?" He replied, "To your father's class." She told him, "Have a seat, because the knowledge of my father is memorized in my chest. I will teach it to you."

Abu Layth As-Samarqandee (D. 539 Hijri) who wrote the book 'Muqdimmaat fil-Fiqh: Tuhfatul-Fuqahaa' also had a daughter named Faatimah whom likewise the khalifah of the Muslims at that time asked for her hand in marriage for his son but he refused. He had a student named Al-Kaasaanee or Al-Kaashaanee who wrote the book 'Bidaa'i As-Sanaa'i' and he was poor but very knowledgeable. He was so highly impressed by his teachers' book (Tuhfatul-Fuqahaa) that he wrote and explanation for it called 'Bidaa'i As-Sanaa'i'. Thus he gave the explanation to his teacher, and similarly he was so highly impressed by his students' book that he said, "I marry my daughter to you." This explanation was her mahr. So based on this incident, the saying became very popular during that time " شرح تحفته وزوجه ابنته - He explained his book so he married his daughter."

Hence, I do not advise the Muslim to marry anyone besides a student of knowledge, even if you yourself are not a student of knowledge. Because the seeking of knowledge gives life and enlightens – light in one's life. You know your rights, she knows her rights, and the children are being taught that which is good. This is true happiness in life. This is true happiness in life.


(Transcribed from Shaykh Mashhoor Salmaan's weekly fatwaa session recorded on 04/28/2007)

[Umm Ahmed]

JazakAllaahu Khayran , and this can be applied to both sexes.

[alkathiri]

Assalamualaikum

Beauty is also important but it should not the top priority

[hussain]

Beauty is also important....

What is more beautiful that the beauty of Eemaan?

[alkathiri]

cant you have both......Possible
You do not want to come back home looking at an ugly wife , right?
I doubt i will be coming home then, probably maybe i'tikaf at the mosque is better jk

[learner3s]

Assalamualaikum

Beauty is also important but it should not the top priority

by the way the beuty is relative is n't it???
its depends on how and from where people seeing :}

[alkathiri]

by the way the beuty is relative is n't it???
its depends on how and from where people seeing :}

i mean literally.the face and whatever that is visible to our eyes