The purpose of nikah in Islam: what Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (Rahimahullah) taught about intention

What intention should a Muslim have for nikah?

In the section titled “With what intention should nikah be done?” (p. 57), the book says the Qur’an shows that the greatest aim of nikah is chastity, piety and the protection of lineage. The advice is to marry with the intention that you will be safe within the fortress of taqwa, and not merely to satisfy desire the way animals do.

The same page adds that a person should also seek children, the good that Allah has written for him through his spouse.

What are the real purposes of marriage?

Across pages 57 to 61 the book gathers several purposes together:

• Chastity and modesty. He cites the hadith that whoever is able to marry should do so, because it lowers the gaze and protects chastity (p. 59).
• Companionship and mercy. He refers to the Qur’anic sign that Allah placed love and mercy between spouses so that each finds calm in the other (p. 59).
• Children. He calls offspring the greatest aim and recalls the hadith urging marriage to a woman who is loving and likely to have many children (p. 60).
• Responsibility and order in life. A married person takes on the duty of earning with effort and shies away from improper conduct, and a society is built on stable households (p. 57).

Is marriage only about companionship, food and comfort?

Maulana Thanvi calls it a corrupt idea to think the point of nikah is simply cooking, cleaning and being fed (p. 60). He argues that if that were the aim, a person who can afford a cook would never need a wife, yet even wealthy people marry. From this he concludes that marriage serves other, deeper benefits.

The lesson for families is practical: judging a rishta only by what a spouse will do for the household misses the point of the relationship.

Why does the Shari’ah prescribe marriage at all?

In the section on the wisdom (maslahah) of nikah (p. 58), he explains that natural desires need a proper outlet. If the Shari’ah did not give one lawful channel, people would meet those needs openly and the harm to society would be far greater. He adds that nikah is the lawful, limited outlet, and that what the Shari’ah prescribes here is wiser than what unaided reasoning would suggest.

What happens if someone avoids nikah without a reason?

On p. 61 he compares marriage to clothing: remaining unmarried is a kind of exposure. When a person’s need for marriage is real, staying unmarried can lead to many temptations, and the very acts of worship that bring peace can be disturbed by whispers and anxious thoughts. He says some people fall into wrongdoing, and some who avoid women to protect an outward image of piety end up in even graver sins.

He also hints that, for a man, staying unmarried when he is able to marry is a mark of shame.

Are there genuine reasons to delay or avoid nikah?

Yes. In the section on excuses for leaving nikah (p. 65) the book says a person with a real excuse is exempt from the warning, whether the excuse is physical, financial or religious. A religious excuse he gives is the fear that a person would be unable to fulfil the rights of a wife.

How can you use this when looking for a spouse?

Write down your own intention before you start: to protect your chastity and faith, to build a home and, if Allah wills, a family. Then look for a spouse who shares it. Parents can do the same with their children, helping them through wali-supported matchmaking rather than pressing them on appearance or status alone. When you are ready to search, you can get the Android app, and families in Pakistan may find the halal rishta app for Pakistan overview useful.

For other teachings from the same book, see our guide on widow remarriage in Islam and the one on how much mahr in Islam.

Frequently asked questions

Is the main purpose of nikah only to have children? Maulana Thanvi calls children the greatest aim, but he lists several others, including chastity, companionship and mercy between spouses.

Can I marry for companionship alone? Companionship is one of the purposes he mentions, along with the Qur’anic gift of love and mercy. He warns against thinking marriage is only for food and household service.

Where can I read this? In Islami Shadi by Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (Rahimahullah), Bab 1, pp. 57–61 and 65.