Surah An-Noor (24) — Ayah 32

(Ayah 32) ➊ {وَ اَنْكِحُوا الْاَيَامٰى مِنْكُمْ: ’’ الْاَيَامٰى ‘‘ ’’آمَ يَئِيْمُ أَيْمًا‘‘} ({بَاعَ يَبِيْعُ}) is the plural of { ’’أَيِّمٌ‘‘ } (on the pattern of {فَیْعِلٌ، كَسَيِّدٍ}), meaning a woman who does not have a husband, whether she is a virgin, a widow, or divorced, and a man who does not have a wife, whether he is a bachelor or previously married. According to Zamakhshari, the pattern of {’’أَيَامٰي‘‘} is {’’أَفَاعِلُ‘‘}, because it is the plural of {’’ أَيِّمٌ‘‘}, which is on the pattern of {’’فَيْعِلٌ‘‘}, and the plural of {’’فَيْعِلٌ‘‘} does not come as {’’فَعَالٰي‘‘}. Therefore, the original of {’’أَيَامٰي‘‘} is {’’ أَيَايِمُ‘‘}, in which, by transposition, the meem is placed before the yaa, because reading yaa after alif is heavy, then meem is given a fatha for lightness, and yaa is replaced with alif to become {’’أَيَامٰي‘‘}. According to Ibn Malik and many scholars, this is, contrary to analogy, on the pattern of {’’ فَعَالٰي‘‘}, and the apparent meaning of Sibawayh’s statement is also this. (Al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir)

➋ The command to lower the gaze and guard the private parts does not mean to suppress the sexual instinct given by Allah or to abandon the world and become monks and ascetics, because this is to oppose nature, and whoever tries to oppose nature will be badly defeated like priests and nuns. Rather, the command is to marry off your unmarried men and women and fulfill your desires and pleasures in a lawful way; this is a means of your chastity and lowering the gaze, and also of increasing the number of the Muslim Ummah.

➌ By { ’’ الْاَيَامٰى مِنْكُمْ ‘‘} is meant free, unmarried Muslim men and women, because the mention of slaves comes later, and non-Muslims are not {’’ مِنْكُمْ ‘‘} but {’’مِنْ غَيْرِكُمْ ‘‘}. As for whom this command is addressed to: the marriage of a woman is the responsibility of her guardians, and without their permission, a woman is not allowed to marry. If a woman has no guardian or he is not fit for guardianship, such that instead of marrying her off, he becomes an obstacle to her marriage without any valid reason, then the ruler of the time is her guardian and is commanded to marry her off. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) says that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ أَيُّمَا امْرَأَةٍ نَكَحَتْ بِغَيْرِ إِذْنِ مَوَالِيْهَا فَنِكَاحُهَا بَاطِلٌ، ثَلاَثَ مَرَّاتٍ، فَإِنْ دَخَلَ بِهَا فَالْمَهْرُ لَهَا بِمَا أَصَابَ مِنْهَا فَإِنْ تَشَاجَرُوْا فَالسُّلْطَانُ وَلِيُّ مَنْ لَا وَلِيَّ لَهُ ] [أبوداوٗد، النکاح، باب في الولي : ۲۰۸۳ ] “Any woman who marries without the permission of her guardians, her marriage is invalid.” He said this three times, then said: “If the husband has intercourse with her, he must give her the dowry, due to the benefit he has taken from her, and if the guardians dispute among themselves, then the ruler is the guardian of the one who has no guardian.”

As for men, their marriage is not dependent on the permission of a guardian, but obviously, when a child reaches adulthood, if his parents or relatives who are supporting him do not try for his marriage and do not cooperate, then marriage becomes very difficult for him. Therefore, they are commanded to marry off their children as soon as possible after they reach adulthood. The word {’’ اَنْكِحُوْا ‘‘} (marry them off) is general, so its addressees are the government and all Muslims, that they should help as much as possible in marrying off men and women. When there is a command to marry off others, then marrying oneself is even more necessary. Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) says: We used to be with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), we were young and had nothing, so the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to us: [ يَا مَعْشَرَ الشَّبَابِ! مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ مِنْكُمُ الْبَائَةَ فَلْيَتَزَوَّجْ فَإِنَّهُ أَغَضُّ لِلْبَصَرِ وَأَحْصَنُ لِلْفَرْجِ وَمَنْ لَّمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَعَلَيْهِ بِالصَّوْمِ فَإِنَّهُ لَهُ وِجَاءٌ] [ بخاري، النکاح، باب من لم یستطع البائۃ فلیصم : ۵۰۶۶، ۵۰۶۵ ] “O group of young men! Whoever among you can afford to marry, let him marry, for it is more effective in lowering the gaze and guarding the private parts, and whoever cannot afford it, let him fast, for it will be a shield for him (against desire).”

➍ By { وَ الصّٰلِحِيْنَ مِنْ عِبَادِكُمْ وَ اِمَآىِٕكُمْ:’’ الصّٰلِحِيْنَ ‘‘} can be meant religious competence (righteousness) as well, in which case among slaves or slave-girls, the righteous one is the one who is not immoral or a fornicator. The owner should marry him/her off as a reward for his/her righteousness and to encourage further righteousness. As for the fornicator, since he is not righteous but corrupt, his marriage is not impermissible until he repents and becomes righteous. Thus, this supports the command mentioned at the beginning of the surah, {’’ اَلزَّانِيْ لَا يَنْكِحُ اِلَّا زَانِيَةً اَوْ مُشْرِكَةً وَّ الزَّانِيَةُ لَا يَنْكِحُهَاۤ اِلَّا زَانٍ اَوْ مُشْرِكٌ وَ حُرِّمَ ذٰلِكَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ ‘‘}. The reason for especially stipulating this condition among slaves seems to be that this disease is often found in this class, because they are deprived of the honor that compels a free man or woman in society to guard their chastity. (Sa'di) Therefore, the scholars have considered Yusuf’s (peace be upon him) abstention from fornication as the height of chastity, because, in worldly terms, there was nothing to prevent him from fornication, not even freedom. (See details in Surah Yusuf) By {’’ الصّٰلِحِيْنَ ‘‘} it can also be meant those slave-girls or slaves who have the ability to marry and need it. This is supported by the fact that if a slave or slave-girl does not need marriage, the owner is not commanded to marry them off, and if both meanings of {’’ الصّٰلِحِيْنَ ‘‘} are intended, it is not far-fetched. (Sa'di)

➎ { اِنْ يَّكُوْنُوْا فُقَرَآءَ يُغْنِهِمُ اللّٰهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهٖ :} Generally, poverty is considered an obstacle to a man’s marriage, that when he has nothing, how will he feed his wife, so no one gives a match to the poor. Allah refuted this notion and said: Marry off your unmarried people; if they are poor, Allah will enrich them. Allah has the power to enrich from the unseen, and in terms of means, after the wife comes, he will strive harder to earn. He used to eat alone before; even if he does not earn more, according to the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), the food of one is enough for two. [ دیکھیے، بخاری : ۵۳۹۲ ] Previously, he used to earn alone; after the wife comes, his earning capacity will not just double but, according to the common saying, increase elevenfold. The wife will help him; it is possible that Allah has given the wife some skill, or she may prove to be an excellent advisor to her husband by giving better advice, or the situation may change due to the cooperation of the wife’s relatives. Moreover, after having children, it is quite possible that they may earn so much that the whole family joins the ranks of the wealthy. On the contrary, if a rich man is given a girl, he may be tested and become poor. Allah said: «{ قُلِ اللّٰهُمَّ مٰلِكَ الْمُلْكِ تُؤْتِي الْمُلْكَ مَنْ تَشَآءُ وَ تَنْزِعُ الْمُلْكَ مِمَّنْ تَشَآءُ وَ تُعِزُّ مَنْ تَشَآءُ وَ تُذِلُّ مَنْ تَشَآءُ بِيَدِكَ الْخَيْرُ اِنَّكَ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيْرٌ (26) تُوْلِجُ الَّيْلَ فِي النَّهَارِ وَ تُوْلِجُ النَّهَارَ فِي الَّيْلِ وَ تُخْرِجُ الْحَيَّ مِنَ الْمَيِّتِ وَ تُخْرِجُ الْمَيِّتَ مِنَ الْحَيِّ وَ تَرْزُقُ مَنْ تَشَآءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ}» [ آل عمران : ۲۶، ۲۷ ] “Say: O Allah! Owner of sovereignty! You give sovereignty to whom You will and take sovereignty from whom You will, and You honor whom You will and humble whom You will. In Your hand is all good. Surely, You have power over all things. You cause the night to enter the day and You cause the day to enter the night, and You bring the living out of the dead and You bring the dead out of the living, and You provide for whom You will without measure.” All this is commonly observed. Wealth is like sunshine and shade—here today, there tomorrow. In fact, the very meaning of wealth is to circulate. Therefore, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) married off that companion who had nothing but a single sheet, not even an iron ring. (See Bukhari: 5029) He did not even consider where he would feed his wife from. Therefore, the scholars have considered marriage as one of the means of becoming wealthy. Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Some people narrate a report that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘Marry even in poverty, Allah will enrich you.’ I have not come across this narration, neither with a strong chain nor a weak one, nor do we need such a baseless narration for this subject, because this verse of the Qur’an and the hadith (about marrying the one who did not even have an iron ring) are sufficient for it. (All praise is due to Allah)” (Ibn Kathir)

A similar narration is commonly known that a man came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) complaining of poverty, and he said: “Get married.” He got married, but poverty remained. He came again and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) again told him to marry. He married a second time, but the situation remained the same. He came again, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) again told him to marry. Even after the third marriage, poverty did not go away, so he came again and complained, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) told him to marry a fourth time. He did so, and his poverty was removed. I searched a lot for this narration but did not find it in any reliable book, nor did any of those who quoted it provide a reference. The baselessness of such stories is evident from their content. It is hardly possible for such a poor man to get four wives one after another.

➏ { وَ اللّٰهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيْمٌ :} The waw of conjunction indicates that it is connected to the previous sentence, which is omitted because it is understood from {’’ يُغْنِيَهُمُ اللّٰهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهٖ ‘‘}, and this brevity is a miracle of the eloquence of the Qur’an. If the omitted sentence is made explicit, the wording would be: {’’ أَنْ يَّكُوْنُوْا فُقَرَآءَ يُغْنِهِمُ اللّٰهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ فَاللّٰهُ ذُوْ فَضْلٍ عَظِيْمٍ وَاللّٰهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيْمٌ‘‘} Here, the appropriateness of mentioning the attributes {’’ وَاسِعٌ ‘‘ } and {’’عَلِيْمٌ‘‘} is that Allah is All-Bountiful; there is no shortage with Him. He enriches whom He wills, no matter how poor he is, and He is All-Knowing; He knows whom to enrich, how, and by what means. (Biqai)

1. In verse 32-1, the address is to the guardians, commanding them to marry off (their wards); it is not stated "marry yourselves," which would have addressed the men and women who are to marry. From this, it is understood that a woman cannot contract her own marriage without the permission and consent of her guardian, which is also supported by hadiths. In this way, some have deduced from the imperative form that marriage is obligatory, while others have considered it impermissible and preferred. However, for one who has the means, it is a confirmed Sunnah, and in some cases, even obligatory, and there is a severe warning against avoiding it. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever turns away from my Sunnah is not from me."

2. Here, righteousness refers to faith. There is a difference of opinion as to whether an owner can compel his male and female slaves to marry or not; some are of the view that it is impermissible, while others are not. However, in the case of fear of harm, it is legally impermissible to compel. Otherwise, it is not impermissible (al-Yasir al-Tafasir).

3. That is, mere poverty and hardship should not be an obstacle to marriage; it is possible that after marriage, Allah may change their hardship into abundance and provision by His grace. It is mentioned in a hadith that there are three persons whom Allah surely helps: 1. The one who marries with the intention of chastity; 2. The mukatib slave who intends to pay off (his contract); 3. And the one who strives in the way of Allah.

32. And marry off those among you who are single [50], and the righteous among your male and female slaves who are fit for marriage [51]. If they are poor, Allah will enrich them out of His bounty [52]. And Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing.

The Literal Meaning of Ayaami:

For purification from the immoralities of society, it is also necessary that none among you, whether man or woman, remains without a spouse. Marry off all such individuals. Ayaami is the plural of Ayyim, and it is used in a very broad sense. It refers to those men whose wives have died or whom they have divorced and who remain single, and also to those women who are widows or divorced and remain single. It also includes those unmarried men and women who, after reaching maturity, have not married for a long time. Therefore, the meaning of this word is simply to remain single. The guardians of such single individuals are being given this command. Thus, once the Messenger of Allah ﷺ addressed Ali ؓ and said: "Ali! Do not delay in three things: the obligatory prayer when its time comes, the burial of a deceased when the body is present, and the marriage of a widow when a suitable match is found." [ترمذی۔ ابواب الصلوۃ۔ باب ماجاء فی الوقت الاول من الفصل]

The Command for the Marriage of Single Individuals:

In our society, the marriage of single men or women is generally considered objectionable. And if someone musters the courage to get married, he is subjected to taunts and criticism, or at the very least, people raise their eyebrows at his action, questioning why he needed to marry when he already has children. They should understand that such an attitude is tantamount to mocking the verses of Allah. There are several reasons for this custom. The biggest reason is being impressed by Western culture, where the law of monogamy prevails, all avenues of immorality and unlawful acts are open, and these people want the same here. The second reason is that sometimes children obstruct the marriage of their single father or widowed mother, and the main reason for this is usually that if children are born, they will become heirs to the inheritance, or it is due to a false sense of honor. The third reason is the propaganda of those who advocate family planning, and for this reason, the encouragement to remain single for a long time after maturity is given. All these reasons together have created such an environment where all facilities are available for unlawful acts, but acting upon lawful deeds has been made very difficult. Incidentally, from this verse, it is also understood that a woman's marriage is not valid without a guardian, regardless of her age. And this matter is mentioned in detail in the hadiths. Thus, Aisha ؓ says that any woman who marries without a guardian, her marriage is invalid, her marriage is invalid, her marriage is invalid. [ترمذی۔ ابواب النکاح۔ باب لا نکاح الا بولی]

Therefore, the guardians are being commanded to marry off single people. And it is also understood that here the imperative form is not for obligation, meaning it is not obligatory upon society, the Islamic government, or the guardians to forcibly marry off every single individual in society. Rather, this command is for recommendation, because there may be obstacles to marriage, such as not finding a suitable match or poverty, etc. However, it is better for the members of society to cooperate as much as possible in the marriage of single people. And for those whose circumstances are not suitable for marriage, the Prophet ﷺ has commanded them to fast. Thus, Abdullah bin Mas'ud ؓ says that we were a group of young men in the service of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and we had nothing (for marriage). So he instructed us: "O young men! Whoever among you has the ability to support a family should marry, for marriage is the best means of lowering the gaze and protecting the private parts, and whoever cannot do so should fast, for fasting will be a shield for him to cool his desires." [بخاری۔ کتاب النکاح۔ باب من لم یستطع الباءۃ فلیصم]

Also, Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas says that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not permit Uthman bin Maz'un ؓ to practice celibacy (to remain single or separate from women). If he had permitted him, we would have become eunuchs. [بخاری۔ کتاب النکاح۔باب مایکرہ من التبتل والخصاء]

[51] In the mention of slave women and men, the word "righteous" (salihin) is used, which conveys two meanings here. First, that they have the ability to maintain married life, so that after marriage they do not become negligent and all the burden falls on the owner. Second, that they are pious and wish to remain pure and avoid immorality and indecency. In any case, their owners should make every possible effort to arrange their marriage.

[52]
The Narrowness or Abundance of Sustenance Does Not Depend on Marriage:

This does not mean that whoever is needy and gets married will become wealthy and rich after marriage. Rather, it means that a person's view is limited to apparent causes, and he calculates based on these apparent causes. Whereas in this universe, besides apparent causes, there are countless hidden causes as well, which a person cannot perceive, and these causes are entirely in the power of Allah Almighty. Therefore, those who hesitate to marry because they fear how they will bear the burden of wife and children after marriage are being told not to refrain from marriage due to such imaginary fears. Your and your children's sustenance is in the hands of Allah. It is not necessary that you will become rich by remaining single, or that you will become poor and destitute after marriage. Often it happens that after marriage, due to a sense of responsibility, a person starts working hard in a way he did not before. Sometimes the wife becomes his helper in earning a livelihood. Sometimes the wife's family helps him in this regard. Sometimes avenues of earning and income open up for the man that he could not have imagined before. It is as if the children being born bring their sustenance with them, for which their father becomes the means. Therefore, be certain that the narrowness or abundance of sustenance does not depend on getting married or remaining single. Therefore, one should not avoid marriage on this basis.