Want to get married but I am poor?

Question

I am a male who is long term unemployed, I have tried to get cleaning jobs here in the UK where I live but to no success. To top it up I am not even qualified for welfare so what should I do to get married?

Answer 1

If you want to get married you should first of all stand on your own feet.

As Allah said 4:34:

Men are in charge of women by [right of] what Allah has given one over the other and what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth...

Scholars of the maliki and shafi'i school consider a faskh (invalidation of a marriage) as legal if the husband can't stay in charge for his wife and family.

So try to find a job, find work go and work earn your own money don't stay dependent on anybody, neither a government nor parents not anybody!
Don't forget that:

"The upper hand is better than the lower hand. The upper hand is that of the giver and the lower (hand) is that of the beggar." (Sahih al-Bukhari)

Read also this hadith which shows how important it is to work and have your own money instead of asking people help or receiving sadaqah or any kind of money. See also this hadith and many others ...

If you then still consider marrying and can't afford marriage the option given by Quran is not allowed or not possible these days as we don't have slaves and Islam doesn't really support slavery (but accept it). As you can't marry a chaste slave now (as they don't legally exist).

therefore as ozbek suggested until you can afford the conditions for marriage you should fast (as stated in ahadith like this one) and work and earn your own money!

Also read this fatwa on rights of spouses in Islam.