Question
Your reply was very enlightening but one point about which I want to be further clarified is that, is there any religious binding to get married or not. What I have gathered from the sayings of the holy Prophet is that although it’s not compulsory but a lot of stress is laid on it. If I don’t get married, shall I be held accountable for it on the Day of Judgment?
Answer
As far as whether or not to get married is concerned, it is a person’s own choice. Imam Bukhari decided not to enter into marriage as he thought he would not be able to meet all his marital and related responsibilities, as he had to undertake extensive traveling in search of hadith (narratives of the sayings of the Prophet ). Thus, if a person can live a good and clean life without marriage, it can be hoped that he shall not be answerable for his choice in the hereafter. However, as I said earlier, it would be a fight against nature, which, I am afraid, is not a wise thing to do.
Seen in the perspective of the foregoing explanation, the stress that you have referred to, in the sayings ascribed to the Prophet (pbuh) is also to teach Muslims to live a life, which is in accordance with their natural needs and requirements.
30th August 1997