Is it true that concluding marriage between the Two ‘Eeds is not recommended? Are there days when marriage is reprehensible?
May Allaah reward you.

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, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

The public believes that concluding a marriage contract between the Two ‘Eeds is reprehensible, but this belief has no foundation in Sharee‘ah; rather, this is one of the beliefs of the Jaahiliyyah.

On the contrary, the majority of scholars, including the Maaliki, Shaafi‘i and some Hanbali scholars are of the opinion that marriage is commendable in the month of Shawwaal. ‘Urwah reported that ‘Aa’ishah said, “The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, married me in Shawwaal and consummated the marriage with me in Shawwaal, and which of his wives was more favorable to him than me?”

He added, “‘Aa’ishah used to recommend her female relatives to conclude their marriage during this month.” [Muslim]

An-Nawawi said in his commentary on the Hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah :

This indicates that it is recommended to get married and to consummate the marriage in Shawwaal. Fellow scholars say that this recommendation is based on this Hadeeth as evidence for that.

By saying this, ‘Aa’ishah was aiming to refute the ignorant belief of Jaahiliyyah, and what some of the common folk still believe today – that it is reprehensible to get married or to consummate the marriage in Shawwaal. This is false and baseless. It is one of the remnants of the Jaahiliyyah, when they used to be superstitious about that because of the connotations of the name of Shawwaal which related to the drying up of the camel’s milk and the lifting of its tail…

Al-Qaari   said:

‘Aa’ishah said so to refute the false beliefs of the people of the Jaahiliyyah who used to consider marriage and consummation during months of Hajj as ominous.

We know no time or date in which Sharee‘ah forbade marriage or consummation, except the time when one is in the state of Ihraam (for Hajj or ‘Umrah), during the woman’s ‘Iddah and the other Sharee‘ah-approved marriage impediments.

The summary is that Shawwaal is like all other months and is not favorable over them, because the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, married in it by coincidence rather than planned.

Ash-Shawkaani   commented on the mentioned Hadeeth saying:

Those who consider this Hadeeth to be a recommendation of marriage during the month of Shawwaal assume that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, did so deliberately, due to a special merit. It requires evidence to be able to say that marriage in Shawwal is commended, because rulings of Sharee‘ah require evidence. However, the reality is that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, married his wives in different times, by coincidence, and he never intended to marry in a specific time. If the mere incident suggests recommendation, then marriage at any time is recommended, based on the fact that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, married at any time; and then we should consider that marriage is recommended at all times when the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, married. However, this claim is groundless.

If some people consider marriage during the month of Shawwaal or any other time as ominous, then the righteous people and scholars should marry at such times to invalidate such false beliefs.