Our prime minister proudly participated in the function of collective marriages of 50 couples on 1 January 2012. In such functions nobody bothers to ascertain the financial condition of the bridegroom. Islam ordains a discipline in marriage.
In Sura 24 (Noor) in Ayat 33 it is enjoined, “And let those who find not the means to marry be abstinent till Allah gives them resources by His grace.” Allama Shabbir Ahmad Usmai in his explanation of the Ayat wrote, “Those who do not possess even as much resources as to bear the necessary expenses of marriage they should control themselves till Allah gives them power to marry and should try to keep chaste.
It is not improbable that by the blessing of self-control and chastity Allah may make them rich and provide best chances for marriage.”
In India, collective marriages take place quite frequently and hundreds of couples perform Hindu rituals and the poor brides are not provided any assurance of minimum sustenance. Why should we follow Indian example disregarding extremely useful Islamic injunctions? Such wholesale marriages result in unwarranted and unbridled overpopulation and virtual slavery of the poor brides and also result in child labour on large scale.
S FEROZ SHAH GILANI
Karachi
