Does a person have a choice concerning the offer and acceptance of marriage?

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.

Every person has a choice concerning the offer and acceptance of marriage. Everyone knows whether he does an action of his own free will or under coercion. For example, when a person uses the stairs, he knows that he does so of his own free well. However, if he someone pushes him and he falls to the ground, he would know that this happened against his will. Allaah The Almighty rewards people when they do good acts of their own free will, and punishes people when they do bad acts of their own free will. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means):

•        {For whoever wills among you to take a right course.} [Quran 81:28]

•        {Among you are some who desire this world, and among you are some who desire the Hereafter.} [Quran 3:152]

Allaah The Almighty gave humankind minds, hearing, perception and free will. Therefore, a person knows the good from the bad and the harmful from the useful and then chooses what suits him. When a person does an act of his own free will — whether it is good, bad or permissible – such as marriage, this act has been decided in advance by Allaah The Almighty Who Says (what means): {And you do not will except that Allaah wills— Lord of the worlds.} [Quran 81:29]

The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said that the first thing created by Allaah The Almighty was the Pen and He ordered it to write what will happen to the creation until the Day of Resurrection. [At-Tirmithi]

At-Tirmithi declared this Hadeeth (narration) as Saheeh (authentic).

Although decided in advance by Allaah The Almighty, a person performs marriage of his own free will. If he makes a bad choice, then he is to blame, and vice versa.

Allaah Knows best.