Marriage according to Islam, or the characteristic that distinguishes humanity from animals

The human nature created by Allah Almighty requires the union of men and women. In this way, the human race will continue and life on earth will continue. Allah Almighty wanted in this way to preserve the blessings of the world and to subjugate the natural forces of nature to humanity for as long as He wills. If Allah Almighty had not created humanity with such a nature, the earth would have perished in a short time.

God could also have made humans follow their animal nature, like animals, and have each man have his own woman. But this would have posed a great danger to humanity, which God has honored more than any other creature on earth and is the most powerful being in the universe.

If Allah had left humanity to its animal nature like other living creatures, most of them would have tried to possess one woman, and all of them would have used all their strength to possess this woman, pursuing various tricks and satisfying their own pride. This would have led to the emergence of various corruptions.

If Allah Almighty had left humanity to its animal nature like other living creatures, their attention to their children would have decreased. A child is a weak creature and needs care and nurturing. Moreover, in this case, the child would not even know who its father is. Thus, it would be left unattended among humans.

It is clear from this that man's indulgence in his animal nature would lead to oppression, envy, enmity, hatred, and, in addition, to the loss of offspring and neglect. In this way, ignorance and its resultant corrupt morals, bad habits, and disgusting practices would spread widely. Thus, humanity, mired in the mire of depravity, would not be worthy of the Caliphate of Allah Almighty on earth.

That is why Allah Almighty introduced marriage through His prophets. The intended purpose was to make it a means of communication between a man and a woman, to ensure that the spouses respect each other's rights, and to make marriage a system that sets boundaries in their relationship. If it were not for this system of marriage in Islamic law, which shows the rights of the spouses towards each other, determines the boundaries of both, and outlines the right path for both, one of them would not be safe from the hostility of the other, marriage would not be a sufficient reason for both parties to help each other, and they would not be able to overcome the shortcomings and difficulties of life together.

If it were not for this Islamic law of marriage, marriage would not be the source of love and affection that the Holy Quran indicates: “And among His signs is that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may find tranquility in them, and He put between you affection and mercy. Indeed, in that are signs for a people who reflect” (Surah Ar-Rum, verse 21).

Islamic law, by defining the boundaries of these relationships and giving instructions, has shown the closest path to family happiness. It has laid the strongest foundations for marital harmony. It is no exaggeration to express this in the following words: The path approved by Islamic law is the path that is in accordance with the nature of all beings. This path is literally in accordance with social life. But this can only be achieved by studying these Islamic instructions and striving for perfection.

Although there are some criticisms of the lifestyles of some Muslims today, this does not change the above truth. Because the wrong things they do are not among the teachings of religion. On the contrary, the cause of these problems is that they have turned away from the broad path set forth in these teachings, have not followed the commands of Allah, have spread corruption on earth with animalistic goals, and have not listened to the reform of the Sharia.

It is worth mentioning here that those who proclaim women's rights should lower their heels a little, abandon their arrogance, and at the same time, learn that the first Sharia that provided women with rights was Islam. Islam gave women a place in the status of humanity and honored them. No matter how much good they wish for a woman, these women's rights advocates we are talking about cannot give her anything better than what Allah Almighty has wished for her.

From the book "Personal Cases" by Muhiddin Abdulhamid