Marriage As Part Of Deen
The simplest way to differentiate is by asking: “Did this practice originate from God, or did it already exist as a human social need?”Part of Deen (The Core): These are things that only God could tell us. For example, how to pray (Salah), the details of the afterlife, the existence of angels, or the specific ritual of Hajj. These are “Direct Commandments” that define our relationship with the Creator.Part of Social Guidance (Life): These are human institutions that existed long before the Qur’an was revealed—like marriage, trade, and even war. People were already marrying and buying/selling before the Qur’an arrived. The Qur’an does not create these institutions; it regulates them. Qur’an contains two types of content: The Eternal Religion (Al-Deen): Belief in one God, morality, and acts of worship. The Law (Al-Sharia): This is the guidance for how to apply the Deen to your specific social reality. Marriage is a social contract. The Qur’an addresses it because Justice (Adl) is part of Deen. If you choose to marry, the Qur’an tells you how to do it fairly so you don’t commit injustice. But the act of marrying itself is a human choice, not a religious ritual like Fasting or Salah. You can tell the difference by looking at the consequences:Salah/Fasting: If a person abandons these without a valid reason, they are considered to be neglecting a pillar of their faith.Marriage: If a person stays single their entire life (like many great scholars or even certain pious figures), they are not considered “sinful” or “less of a Muslim.”If marriage were a “pillar of Deen” in the same way as Salah, then staying single would be a sin. The fact that it isn’t proves that marriage is a Sunnah of life (a recommended path for social stability) rather than a Farz of Deen (a requirement for salvation). There are other such practices and the Qur’an is full of them! Trade/Business: The Qur’an gives many rules for trade (don’t take interest, write down your debts). This doesn’t mean “Being a Businessman” is a part of Deen. It means if you do business, you must follow the Deen’s principles of honesty.Consultation (Shura): The Qur’an tells us to consult with each other. This is a social mechanism for decision-making.War/Peace: The Qur’an gives rules for how to behave in war. This doesn’t mean war is “part of Deen”; it means Deen provides the moral boundaries for when humans find themselves in that human situation. The criteria is The Source of the Need. If the need is Spiritual (How do I connect to God?), it is Deen.If the need is Biological or Social (How do I live with a partner? How do I buy food?), it is Human Life, and the Qur’an provides the Ethics to keep that life pure.Marriage is in the Qur’an because the Qur’an is a book of Justice, and marriage is the most common place where humans can either be very just or very cruel.