Increasingly, men and women are marrying later, pursuing careers and trying to accomplish some sense of financial independence before getting hitched: a challenge for many Muslims in the West, as cost of higher education is becoming more prohibitive, and many are paying back loans years after graduation. For Muslim men, the aspect of obtaining financial independence is even more important as it is the responsibility of the man – in front of Allah (swt) – to financially provide for his family, and seeking this strong footing is often the main precursor to even thinking about marriage.
The (negative) repercussions of delayed marriage are many – so how should a Muslim man specifically balance seeking financial independence with seeking to complete their faith vis-à-vis marriage, especially if an early marriage can be more emotionally sound for him? What is the importance of financial independence, given that in this day and age, a woman is likely to earn and contribute financially to a family unit, more so than she could in the past?
