Is it permissible for a young man and woman to عقد النكاح (perform the marriage contract) while postponing marital intimacy until financial conditions for 'nafaqa' (spousal maintenance) improve?
Marriage is a cause of richness, and Allah has promised the married richness from His bounty, as stated by Al-Qurtubi, Ibn Mas'ud, Umar, and Ibn Abbas. This is evidence that it is permissible to marry off a poor person, for his provision is from Allah. If a young man is to contract the marriage and his wife remains in her father's house until a marital home becomes available for them, there is no harm in that, and he must strive to work. However, if the wife moves to his house and they agree not to cohabitate in order to avoid having children, this is not appropriate, because it negates the most important purpose of marriage, which is offspring, and it contradicts reliance on Allah, and it resembles the actions of the people of Jahiliyyah who killed their children for fear of poverty. The marriage must fulfill its pillars and conditions, and it is not permissible to establish a relationship between a man and a woman before marriage.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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