Short answer
Marriage in Islam is for tranquillity, love and mercy between spouses, for chastity, for children and family, and for helping each other in faith. It is a sunnah of the prophets and, with a good intention, an act of worship. The Hanafis rank it above devoting yourself to voluntary worship.
Nikah is sunnah mu'akkadah and an act of worship when done with the intentions of chastity, children and following the sunnah. Because of its many benefits, the Hanafi school holds that being busy with marriage and family is better than giving it up for voluntary worship.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- Marriage is a permitted act that becomes worship through intention. For someone who does not need it, devotion to voluntary worship is better.
Explanation
The Quran describes marriage in tender terms. Allah created spouses "that you may find tranquillity in them", and placed affection and mercy between them (30:21). They are clothing for each other (2:187). Every prophet was sent with "wives and descendants" (13:38), so marriage is the way of the prophets, not a distraction from faith.
- Tranquillity and companionship. A home where two people find rest in each other.
- Chastity. The Prophet ﷺ told young people to marry because it lowers the gaze and guards the private parts.
- Children and family. Raising believing children who carry faith forward.
- Helping each other to Allah. Spouses protect themselves and their families from the Fire (66:6) by reminding and supporting each other.
- Lawful pleasure that is rewarded. See intimacy in marriage.
When these aims are kept in view, the choice of spouse changes too. People marry for wealth, family, beauty or religion, and the sunnah is to put religion first. Marriage only for status, money or family pressure tends to miss its purpose.
Hanafi scholars go further: they hold that being occupied with marriage, providing for a family and raising children is better than staying single to spend more time in voluntary prayer. See is marriage obligatory and rights of husband and wife.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Ar-Room 30:21
وَمِنْ ءَايَٰتِهِۦٓ أَنْ خَلَقَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَٰجًۭا لِّتَسْكُنُوٓا۟ إِلَيْهَا وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَكُم مَّوَدَّةًۭ وَرَحْمَةً ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَءَايَٰتٍۢ لِّقَوْمٍۢ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ﴿٢١﴾
And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquillity in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought.
Calm, affection and mercy are the first purposes of marriage.
Quran, Surah Ar-Ra'd 13:38
وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلًۭا مِّن قَبْلِكَ وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُمْ أَزْوَٰجًۭا وَذُرِّيَّةًۭ ۚ وَمَا كَانَ لِرَسُولٍ أَن يَأْتِىَ بِـَٔايَةٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ لِكُلِّ أَجَلٍۢ كِتَابٌۭ ﴿٣٨﴾
And We have already sent messengers before you and assigned to them wives and descendants. And it was not for a messenger to come with a sign except by permission of Allah. For every term is a decree.
Marriage and family are the way of the prophets.
Quran, Surah At-Tahrim 66:6
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ قُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًۭا وَقُودُهَا ٱلنَّاسُ وَٱلْحِجَارَةُ عَلَيْهَا مَلَٰٓئِكَةٌ غِلَاظٌۭ شِدَادٌۭ لَّا يَعْصُونَ ٱللَّهَ مَآ أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ ﴿٦﴾
O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, over which are [appointed] angels, harsh and severe; they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded.
Spouses help each other and their children towards Allah.
Sahih al-Bukhari 5066
Sahih... فإنه أغض للبصر وأحصن للفرج ...
"For it lowers the gaze and guards the private parts better."
Chastity is a central aim of marriage.
Sunan Abi Dawud 2050
Graded hasan sahih... تزوجوا الودود الولود فإني مكاثر بكم الأمم ...
"Marry the loving and fertile, for I will be proud of your numbers before the nations."
Children and love are aims of marriage.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Nikah, opening chapter. Being occupied with nikah is better than devoting oneself to voluntary worship.
- Minhaj al-Talibin (Nawawi), Kitab al-Nikah. The Shafi'i view that devotion to worship is better for one who does not need marriage.
This answer is pending review by the scholars on our team. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.