Sheikh Gumi Calls for Government Funds to Support Marriage Under Shariah

(Sheikh Ahmad Gumi. Photo Credit: BBC News)

Islamic scholar Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has contended that administrations operating under Shariah law have an obligation to utilise government resources to facilitate marriage arrangements.

In a statement posted on social media on Thursday, Gumi argued that governments in Shariah-regulated societies bear responsibility for addressing social consequences that arise from prohibitions on intimate relationships outside marriage.

The cleric maintained that government assistance for individuals unable to afford marriage costs should be regarded as sound governance practice, particularly in jurisdictions where prostitution, sexual relations outside marriage, infidelity and sexual promiscuity are forbidden under both religious doctrine and statutory law.

He asserted that public funds could appropriately support young people facing urgent marriage needs, as well as women confronting limited availability of eligible partners.

Gumi stated that within Shariah law-governed settings where prostitution, sexual relations outside marriage, infidelity and promiscuity are proscribed by both religious and legal frameworks, allocating public resources to enable marriage for women facing shortages of available men or for any young person in critical need of marriage constitutes a legitimate and responsible expression of effective governance.