This Ummah has lost its plot.
Today, marriage, once a sacred bond rooted in faith, simplicity, and sincerity, is slowly turning into a transactional agreement, an agreement of material gain, a show of status. It’s no longer about two souls uniting for the sake of Allah, but rather about ticking boxes, meeting worldly expectations, and fulfilling material desires.
What was once described as a Sunnah, an act of worship, and half of one’s deen, now resembles an agency contract, a deal negotiated between families rather than hearts. A union that used to begin with “Bismillah” is now weighed down by :
“What does he earn?”
“Where will they live?”
“What kind of lifestyle can he provide?”
Families who speak so much about deen, who preach simplicity, who remind others about modest living, are often the very same ones demanding extravagance when it comes to their own children. The same tongues that quote, “The best of marriages are the simplest ones,” now insist on luxury homes, designer furniture, holidays every year or month and five-star receptions. The same hands that were once raised in dua for a righteous spouse are now raised to reject a proposal because “he doesn’t earn enough.”
If the demands are not met, the family is called stingy, selfish, or inconsiderate. A proposal that could have been blessed with barakah is dismissed because it doesn’t fit the modern checklist. But since when did taqwa, good character, and deen become secondary to branded wealth and a flashy lifestyle?
It’s sad to witness. Many young men and women are sincerely striving to live by the Quran and Sunnah. They’ve spent time in the path of Allah, learning humility and sacrifice, understanding the true purpose of life. Yet when it comes to marriage, all those lessons seem forgotten. Simplicity becomes a slogan, not a lifestyle. The same people who once spoke about contentment are now chasing the very dunya they warned others against.
What has become of us? Have we forgotten that Rizq (sustenance) is from Allah, not from our in-laws or a spouse’s bank account? Have we become so blinded by glitter that we can no longer see the beauty of contentment?
Marriage was meant to complete half of our deen, not compete with the world. It was meant to bring peace, not pressure. The Prophet ﷺ lived with simplicity, his home was humble, his provisions minimal, yet his household overflowed with barakah and love. He taught us that true richness is the richness of the soul.
So why do we measure worth by wealth and value by possessions?
Why do we make marriage difficult for those who wish to live according to deen, while opening doors wide for those who flaunt their dunya?
It’s time to pause and reflect. To stop preaching what we do not practice. To revive the essence of marriage, simplicity, sincerity, and sacrifice.
May Allah grant us hearts that see beyond material glitter, minds that understand the value of deen, and tongues that speak only what we practice.
Because when simplicity becomes just a slogan, the beauty of marriage is lost, and so is the soul of this Ummah.
