It would not be an exaggeration to say that nowadays, the worldly pursuit and acquisition of wealth and material comforts is a high priority for most people, towards which their efforts are directed from a very early age.

The Economic Dynamics of Muslim Marriage

Success in today’s world is gauged on one predominant factor: being wealthy,- at least apparently so. Anyone who falls short on the wealth scale is considered to still have some way left to go on the road towards success, albeit even if they enjoy a plethora of other blessings, such as righteousness, health, education, honor or popularity. If they are not materially wealthy, they don’t usually enjoy the “oomph” factor in being considered successful by others.

The institution of marriage is not immune either, from the effects of this contemporary rat race to amass wealth. In fact, since time immemorial, wealth has remained a considerably key factor in convening most marriages.

Islam has endorsed this trend, of the giving and taking of wealth in return for rewards from Allah and the establishment of the dynamics of blood, marital and business relationships. The spending of wealth upon others also determines the line of authority and mutual interdependence of almost all human relationships in Islam.

The Dynamics of Wealth in Muslim Marriage

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has clearly stated that one of the reasons for which a woman is married by a man, is her wealth (or the wealth of her biological family).

Also, Allah has obligated Muslim men to spend upon (i.e. financially support) their wives, who are considered their dependents in an Islamic marriage, and not force their wives to contribute any of their own money to the household. A wife has to be financially supported by her husband even if she is wealthy and not in need of financial maintenance from him.

This obligatory spending by the husband on his wife is actually one of the reasons why he holds a clear and unconditional degree of authority over her in their marriage, obligating her obedience to him in all matters that Allah has permitted.

Unfortunately, even though a Muslim nowadays may meticulously study the big books of rulings that contain thousands of rules of jurisprudence in a classroom/under a teacher as part of their Deen-related education, it does not mean that they will eventually act upon all the knowledge that they have acquired.

And that right there is the real life test that we all have live through, for which we will be accountable to Allah: how much we acted upon the Deen (religion).

What I mean is, that even though Islam has defined the economic dynamics of Muslim marriage, most Muslims do not act according to all of them in practical life.

You Don’t Get to Pick and Choose

Many a marriage nowadays comes rife with unique challenges and problems from day one.

Your spouse, no matter how righteous you are, will always come with certain qualities that you will dislike.

Shopping for stuff we need from the stores is so much easier than receiving what Qadr (Divine decree) doles out for us in the shape of a life partner in real life. You can cry out long, earnest dua’s before Allah day and night asking Him for a righteous spouse, listing out all the qualities and attributes you want in them, and yet, what you get handed eventually, might be quite different from your expectations.

This is because Allah wants all of us to work for getting what we want: He doesn’t just hand us what we desire on a platter, without our lifting a finger in efforts to acquire it. That is just one of His many laws.

And one of the factors about your future spouse and/or in-laws that you might end up disliking, could be their wealth and their family mindset regarding money, which is a result of their past economic status, lifestyle and standard of living.

It is often assumed, especially when marriages are being negotiated and discussed, that if a young girl or boy marries into a wealthy, influential and materially well off family, this surely implies a good fortune for him or her, along with future happiness and a lack of hardships after marriage.

However, a cursory look at middle-aged or elderly married couples who are wealthy, and the state/level of happiness of their marriages, clearly repudiates this belief.

Economic prosperity and poverty, each come with their unique related challenges and problems after marriage.

It is all about which hard nut a person is dealt out to crack, by the decree of Allah. And neither is easy.