Q 7: Is marriage obligatory for a woman who can control her sexual desire and who refuses marriage to be able to devote her life to worship and to avoid having marital responsibilities?

A: Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) legislated marriage, as He (may He Praised and Exalted) says: (Part No. 18; Page No. 17)  And marry those among you who are single (i.e. a man who has no wife and the woman who has no husband) and (also marry) the Sâlihûn (pious, fit and capable ones) of your (male) slaves and maid-servants (female slaves). If they be poor, Allâh will enrich them out of His Bounty. Also the Prophet (peace be upon him) commanded us to get married. On the authority of `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: 'O young people! Whoever among you is able to marry, should marry, for marriage would help him lower his gaze and keep his virtuousness and whoever is not able to marry, is recommended to fast, for fasting would diminish his sexual power. (Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim, and this is their wording, also related by Abu Dawud, Al-Tirmidhy, and Al-Nasa'y) In the Hadith that relates the story of three people who went to ask about the worship of the Prophet (peace be upon him), when they were told about the Prophet's worship, they considered it to be little. In this story one of the three people said: I will keep away from women and will not marry forever. The Prophet (peace be upon him) told that man and his companions that he (peace be upon him) fasts and breaks his fast, prays and sleeps and also marries women. Then he said, "So he who does not follow my Sunnah is not from me (not one of my followers)." The Hadith of this story is related in full by Al-Bukhari. This story includes a sign from the Prophet (peace be upon him) warning against monasticism practiced by men and women among the Jews and Christians. The woman asking this question should not stay without a husband. May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.