These clear Ayat include a group of unambiguous rulings and firm commands.
[وَأَنْكِحُواْ
الأَيَـمَى مِنْكُمْ]
(And marry those among you who are single (Al-Ayama)....) This is a command
to marry. The Prophet said:
«يَا مَعْشَرَ
الشَّبَابِ، مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ مِنْكُمُ الْبَاءَةَ فَلْيَتَزَوَّجْ، فَإِنَّهُ
أَغَضُّ لِلْبَصَرِ وَأَحْصَنُ لِلْفَرْجِ، وَمَنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَعَلَيْهِ
بِالصَّوْمِ فَإِنَّهُ لَهُ وِجَاءٌ»
(O young men, whoever among you can afford to get married, let him marry, for
it is more effective in lowering the gaze and protecting the private parts.
Whoever cannot do that, then let him fast, for it is a protection for him.) This
was recorded in the Two Sahihs from the Hadith of Ibn Mas`ud. In the Sunan, it
was recorded from more than one person that the Messenger of Allah said:
«تَزَوَّجُوا
تَوَالَدُوا تَنَاسَلُوا فَإِنِّي مُبَاهٍ بِكُمُ الْأُمَمَ يَوْمَ
الْقِيَامَةِ»
(Marry and have children, for I will be proud of you before the nations on
the Day of Resurrection.) The word Al-Ayama, the plural form of Ayyim, is used
to describe a woman who has no husband and a man who has no wife, regardless of
whether they have been married and then separated, or have never been married at
all. Al-Jawhari reported this from the scholars of the (Arabic) language, and
the word is applied to men and women alike.
[إِن يَكُونُواْ
فُقَرَآءَ يُغْنِهِمُ اللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ]
(If they be poor, Allah will enrich them out of His bounty.) `Ali bin Abi
Talhah reported from Ibn `Abbas: "Allah encouraged them to get married,
commanded both free men and servants to get married, and He promised to enrich
them.''
[إِن يَكُونُواْ
فُقَرَآءَ يُغْنِهِمُ اللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ]
(If they be poor, Allah will enrich them out of His bounty.) It was recorded
that Ibn Mas`ud said: "Seek the richness through marriage, for Allah says:
[إِن يَكُونُواْ
فُقَرَآءَ يُغْنِهِمُ اللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ]
(If they be poor, Allah will enrich them out of His bounty.)'' This was
recorded by Ibn Jarir. Al-Baghawi also recorded something similar from `Umar. It
was reported from Al-Layth from Muhammad bin `Ajlan from Sa`id Al-Maqburi from
Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah said:
«ثَلَاثَةٌ حَقٌّ
عَلَى اللهِ عَوْنُهُمْ: النَّاكِحُ يُرِيدُ الْعَفَافَ، وَالْمُكَاتَبُ يُرِيدُ
الْأَدَاءَ، وَالْغَازِي فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ»
(There are three whom it is a right upon Allah to help: one who gets married
seeking chastity; a slave who makes a contract with his master with the aim of
buying his freedom; and one who fights for the sake of Allah.) This was recorded
by Imam Ahmad, At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah. The Prophet performed the
marriage of a man who owned nothing but his waist wrap, and could not even buy a
ring made of iron, but he still married him to that woman, making the Mahr his
promise to teach her whatever he knew of the Qur'an. And it is known from the
generosity and kindness of Allah that He provided him with whatever was
sufficient for her and for him.