Published in: Shumara al-Sunnah, Jhelum
Jābir ibn ʿAbdillāh رضي الله عنه states:
"A man came to the Prophet ﷺ complaining of poverty, and he ﷺ told him to marry."
[Reference: Tārīkh Baghdād by al-Khaṭīb al-Baghdādī 1/382]
The narrator Saʿīd ibn Muḥammad al-Madanī has been criticized by leading ḥadīth scholars:
✔ Imām Abū Ḥātim al-Rāzī said:
"His ḥadīth is not worth anything."
[al-Jarḥ wa al-Taʿdīl 4/58, no. 257]
✔ Imām Ibn Ḥibbān said:
"He used to distort reports... Some were sound, resembling the narrations of trustworthy narrators, while others were distorted and did not resemble authentic narrations. His narrations cannot be used as evidence when he is the sole narrator."
[al-Majrūḥīn 1/326]
"And marry the unmarried among you and the righteous among your male and female slaves. If they are poor, Allah will enrich them from His bounty. Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing."
(Surah al-Nūr: 32)
"Are you married?"
He replied, "No."
Ibn ʿAbbās said:
"Then marry, for the best of this Ummah (the Prophet ﷺ) had the most wives."
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 5069]
This highlights how Ibn ʿAbbās used the Prophet’s ﷺ multiple marriages as a positive encouragement toward marriage.
Marriage is inherently full of goodness and blessings, and a believer often receives abundant blessings in return for it.
❖ Question:
Is the narration authentic where a man complained to the Prophet ﷺ about poverty and he advised him to marry?❖ Answer:
The narration is reported in the following words:Jābir ibn ʿAbdillāh رضي الله عنه states:
"A man came to the Prophet ﷺ complaining of poverty, and he ﷺ told him to marry."
[Reference: Tārīkh Baghdād by al-Khaṭīb al-Baghdādī 1/382]
❖ Commentary:
This narration is extremely weak (شديد الضعف).The narrator Saʿīd ibn Muḥammad al-Madanī has been criticized by leading ḥadīth scholars:
✔ Imām Abū Ḥātim al-Rāzī said:
"His ḥadīth is not worth anything."
[al-Jarḥ wa al-Taʿdīl 4/58, no. 257]
✔ Imām Ibn Ḥibbān said:
"He used to distort reports... Some were sound, resembling the narrations of trustworthy narrators, while others were distorted and did not resemble authentic narrations. His narrations cannot be used as evidence when he is the sole narrator."
[al-Majrūḥīn 1/326]
❖ Qur’anic Guidance on the Matter:
The following verse provides sufficient direction:"And marry the unmarried among you and the righteous among your male and female slaves. If they are poor, Allah will enrich them from His bounty. Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing."
(Surah al-Nūr: 32)
❖ Statement of ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما:
Saʿīd ibn Jubayr narrates that ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAbbās once asked him:"Are you married?"
He replied, "No."
Ibn ʿAbbās said:
"Then marry, for the best of this Ummah (the Prophet ﷺ) had the most wives."
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 5069]
This highlights how Ibn ʿAbbās used the Prophet’s ﷺ multiple marriages as a positive encouragement toward marriage.
❖ Practical Lesson:
Today, many delay marriages until financial stability, but ironically, neither do they become stable nor do they marry. The actual purpose of marriage is to attain stability.Marriage is inherently full of goodness and blessings, and a believer often receives abundant blessings in return for it.
