for the benefit of others. Thus, permissible matters, when they serve as a means to what is beloved, become beloved and sought after.

When is it disliked? It is disliked for a poor person who has no sexual desire, because he has no need for it in that case and burdens himself with many hardships. But if the woman is wealthy and is unconcerned whether he spends on her or not, then marriage is sunnah in his case.

When is it prohibited? They said: It is prohibited in a land of war. If a person is in the land of the disbelievers fighting in the cause of Allah, he may not marry, because he fears for his family in that land. Another instance is when a man already has a wife and fears that, if he marries a second, he will not deal justly; marriage is then prohibited, because Allah, Most High, says:

“If you fear that you will not be just, then marry only one.” [al-Nisāʾ 4:3]

Thus, Allah, Most High, commanded limiting oneself to one wife when we fear failing to be just. Apart from these cases, it is recommended, because that is the basic ruling.

If we hold that its basic ruling is obligation—which is the second view—then we regard obligation as the basic ruling and say that it is recommended for a person who has no sexual desire but possesses wealth and wishes to benefit the wife. However, the position of the legal school is that all five legal rulings apply to it. In the case we have mentioned, it is not obligatory but merely permissible.

A person who marries should not intend merely to satisfy his desire, as is the aim of most people today. Rather, he should intend the following:

First: to comply with the Prophet’s command: “O young men, whoever among you is able to marry should marry.” (1)