Alqamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: I was walking with Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) when Sayyiduna Uthman bin Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) met him at Mina and began talking with him. Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: O Abu Abd al-Rahman! Shall we not marry you to a young girl who may remind you of some of your past days? Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Since you say that, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to us: "O company of young men! Whoever among you is able to marry, let him marry, for it is a means of lowering the gaze and guarding the private parts; and whoever is not able to marry, let him fast, for fasting is a shield for him."
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب النكاح / 13446