Asking a charitable association for help in order to get married

The question:

Is it permissible to ask a charitable association for assistance in order to establish a project of collective marriage?

The answer:

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Peace and blessing be upon whom Allah sent as a mercy to the Worlds, upon his Family, his Companions and his Brothers till the Day of Resurrection.

In principle, the Muslim should ask only Allah تعالى for worldly or material assistance, for the love of Him and because of having complete confidence in Him, and this in order to realize His saying:

﴿إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ﴾ [الفاتحة: 5].

The meaning of the verse:

﴾You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything).﴿ [Al-Fâtiha (The Opening): 5], and His saying:

﴿فَإِذَا فَرَغْتَ فَانْصَبْ. وَإِلَى رَبِّكَ فَارْغَبْ﴾ [الشرح: 7-8].

The meaning of the verse:

﴾So when you have finished (your occupation), devote yourself for Allâh’s worship. And to your Lord (Alone) turn (all your) intentions and hopes﴿ [Ash-Sharh (The Opening Forth): 7-8].

That is to say: turn to Allah alone and not to others than Him, in accordance with the Messenger’s صلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلَّم saying to Ibn `Abbâs رضي الله عنهما: “If you ask, then ask Allah, and if you seek help, then seek the help of Allah”⁽¹⁾, because Allah عزَّ وجلَّ is able to subject who will help him in matters of his marriage if he seeks by it chastity and preserving himself. This is in fact a promise from Allah for those who preserve their chastity among His servants. Allah تعالى said:

﴿وَلْيَسْتَعْفِفِ الَّذِينَ لاَ يَجِدُونَ نِكَاحًا حَتَّى يُغْنِيَهُمُ اللهُ مِنْ فَضْلِه﴾ [النور: 33].

The meaning of the verse:

﴾And let those who find not the financial means for marriage keep themselves chaste, until Allâh enriches them of His Bounty﴿ [An-Nûr (The Light): 33].

Besides, the Messenger صلَّى الله عليه وسلَّم said, “Three people have a right to Allah’s help: the one who marries with the intention of being chaste, the Mukâtab⁽²⁾ who resolves to pay off his manumission and the warrior in Allah’s path”⁽³⁾.

Asking people is only permissible in case of necessity, and it is better to not ask them and to put one’s trust in Allah, as asking people may lead to the harm of being in need of others than Allah which is a kind of Shirk (polytheism), harming the asked person which is a kind of wrong toward people and the harm of being humble to others than Allah which is an injustice to oneself⁽⁴⁾, and if it is permissible to ask in case of necessity, the necessity should be evaluated in a proper manner.

The perfect knowledge belongs to Allah عزَّ وجلَّ. Our last prayer is all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Peace and blessing be upon our Prophet, his Family, his Companions and Brothers till the Day of Resurrection.

Algiers, Rajab 7^th, 1430H.
Corresponding to: June 30^th , 2009.

(1) Reported by Ahmad (hadith 2763), by At-Tirmidhi, chapter of “ The description of the Day of Resurrection, softening the hearts and piety ” (hadith 2516) and by Al-Hâkim (hadith 6303) on the authority of Ibn `Abbâs رضي الله عنهما. This hadith is judged authentic by Ahmad Shâkir in his Recension of Mousnad Ahmad and by Al-Albâni in Sahîh Al-Jâmi` (hadith 7957).

(2) Mukâtab: A slave (male or female) who binds himself (or herself) to pay a certain ransom for his (or her) freedom.

(3) Reported by At-Tirmidhi, chapter of “Jihad ”, concerning what is reported about fighting [in Allah’s path], about he who wants to get married, the slave who wants to pay his emancipation and the assistance of Allah towards them (hadith 1655), by An-Nassâ’i, chapter of “ Marriage ”, concerning Allah’s assistance to he who wants to marry in order to preserve his chastity (hadith 3218), by Ibn Mâjah, chapter of “Emancipation”, concerning the slave who pays for his emancipation (hadith 2518), by Ibn Hibbân in As-Sahîh (hadith 4030), by Al-Hâkim in Al-Mustadrak (hadith 2678), by Ahmad (hadith 7416) and by Al-Bayhaqi (hadith 2678) on the authority of Abu Hurayra رضي الله عنه. This hadith is judged Hassan (good) by Al-Baghawi in Sharh As-Sunna (5/6) and by Al-Albâni in Ghâyat Al-Marâm (hadith 210) and in Sahîh Al-Jâmi` (hadith 3050). Moreover, Ahmad Shâkir judged it authentic in his Recension of Musnad Ahmad (13/149).

(4) See: Madjmû` Al-Fatâwa by Ibn Taymiyya (1/190).

I say: this is different from asking about matters of religion, which may reach the degree of individual obligation, as well as the individual, literary and moral rights which belong to the man by a religious evidence. In this case, it is permissible for the person to claim and ask for these rights those who hold them.