Hazrat Sheikh's rahimahullah advice on a simple marriage

The following is an extract taken from the autobiography (Aap Beti) of Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Zakariyya rahimahullah:

Nikkah is a form of worship but people have made it into a museebat (calamity). The Ulama say, “There are two worships which started with Nabi Adam alayhis salam and will remain till the day of Qiyamat; the first is Iman and the second is marriage. Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam considred marriage as one of his sunnats and said, “Nikkah is of my sunnat, so whoever turns away from my sunnat is not from me.”

But what have we done? We have added so many nonsensical things to it and made it into a great burden and calamity upon ourselves! During the time of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam and the Sahabah radiallahu anhum after hi, it had the label of sunnat thoroughly attached to it. These nonsensical customary things which we had attached to it were not even thought of in those days.

The love which the Sahabah radiallahu anhum had for Rasulullah salallahu alyhi wa salam was such that nobody can deny it. A few examples of this have been quoted in the book ‘Stories of the Sahabah’.

Hazrat Abdur Rahman ibn Owf radiallahu anhu was a very well known sahabi, and is one of the ten who were promised entry into Jannah. He was a very faithful follower of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam but in spite of all that, not only did he not invite Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam to his wedding but also did not even inform him thereof. When Rasulullah salallahu alyhi wa salam saw some yellow mark on his clothing which denoted a kind of scent used at weddings, he asked him, “What is this, O Abdur Rahman? Did you get married?” He replied that he had indeed married a girl from among the Ansaris.

Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam also said, “That nikkah has more blessings in it, in which least expenditure is incurred.” It is a pity that we have through our customs made it the most difficult thing. No one knows how many salaahs are left unperformed because of it. Sometimes a greater museebat (calamity) is that the bride’s party is sent of just at a time when salaah is to be performed, as a result of which the bride, bridegroom and the whole party miss the salaah. When that is the beginning of the union, is it any wonder that the end of it is arguments, disputes and corruption?

Ulama have written that the child that is conceived out of conjugal relations at a time of salaah (which is not performed) will tend to be disobedient to parents and troublesome to them. May Allah guide us and set us aright!

A worse museebat is this that as a result of our customs, girls remain unmarried till late in life, the reason being that financial arrangements cannot be made. Even worse that this – often, money has to be borrowed on interest, about which the Qur’an has passed a verdict that it is tantamount to a declaration of war from Allah and His Rasul salallahu alayhi wa salam.

Who is there that can survive a battle against Allah and His Rasul salallahu alayhi wa salam? Often the excuse is brought that if all these things are not done, then our honour and dignity will be lost. I have seen many Elders have their marriages and the marriages of their loved ones performed according to the sunnat in utmost simplicity, without all this nonsensical rigmarole but without any dishonour at all!