Question:

What do the pious and expert scholars of Islam say: Is an arranged marriage a religious requirement?

Answer:

It is not a religious requirement that parents arrange their child’s marriage but carried out with a sense of love, compassion, and generosity noble act on the part of parents. It creates a closer bond and ensures a constant involvement in each other’s lives. Parents bring up their children for 17-20 years and put all their energy, live savings into giving them everything they can including wanting to be part of this very important next rite of passage, which is marriage. They want to ensure that this wonderful child they have brought up gets the finest life partner and they will put their experience and savings into making sure this happens, and I think this is a very important contribution parents can make into the development and future of their child.  This is how arranged marriages have happened traditionally in every society; it is not peculiar to Muslims. It is of course vital that your children are on your side and have given their consent and willingness. Your parents are your sponsors, guarantors, financiers, and more importantly give spiritual blessings and I believe that there are immense benefits from these blessings.

Arranged marriages require huge trust from children in their parents and confidence from parents in their children so it is really a mark of a mature and morally developed family.

And Allah ﷻ knows best

Dr Musharraf Hussain Al-Azhari
Director of British Fatwa Council