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Fatwa CenterShould he study or get married and where?
Question
1) I want to study Islamic studies and I live in America. I can't go overseas for a number of reasons. Are there any Islamic Universities in America or Canada?
2) What comes first Islamic studies or marriage? I really need to get married; however I also want to study Islam. If I get married this might stop me from traveling to learn Islam. I find it very hard to keep my gaze down, but at the same time I know marriage will make me real busy and keep me from fulfilling my dream of being a scholar. What should I do?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.
We refer the questioner brother to the Islamic centers in his area to get information about universities in the States and
As for the matter whether to continue your studies or to get married, we advise you to combine both matters if possible, as it is better. The Prophet 
said: "O, young people, whoever among you can marry, should marry, because it helps him lower his gaze and guard his modesty (i.e., his private parts from committing illegal sexual intercourse, etc.), and whoever is unable to marry, should fast, as fasting is a means for controlling ones sexual desire." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
The Islamic texts prove that a married person gets help and support from his Lord. Imaam At-Tabari
reported in his explanation of the Quran that Ibn Mas'ood 
said: 'Seek wealth in marriage as Allaah Says (what means): {If they should be poor, Allaah will enrich them from His bounty, and Allaah is all-Encompassing and Knowing.}[Quran 24:32].
If you can not bear the expenses of your studies and marriage at the same time, then the ruling depends on your conditions. If you are strongly in need of marriage to the extent that you fear committing forbidden matters, then you have to favor marriage over your studies. Allaah enjoins us to stay away from all forbidden acts. If you have no fear of committing prohibitions then you may give preference to your studies over your marriage and delay it for a suitable time.
Know that some kind of Islamic knowledge is compulsory for every Muslim. It is written in the encyclopedia of Fiqh: "Learning some types of knowledge is an individual obligation upon every Muslim such as the knowledge of his faiths and Fiqh, which he always needs in his daily life. Imaam Ibn 'Aabideen quoted from Al-Allaami
. 'Learning what a slave needs to follow his religion correctly, to worship Allaah sincerely and to deal with people properly is an individual obligation on every man and woman. So, after learning the knowledge of one's religion and faith, he/she has to learn the knowledge of ablution, ritual bath, prayer, fasting, Zakah for the one who has the amount of money which necessitates paying Zakah, Hajj for the one can afford it and is physically capable, and the rulings of transactions for businessmen, etc.' Learning this obligatory knowledge will not be a hindrance for the marriage, Allaah willing.
Allaah Knows best.
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