I want to remain unmarried, go abroad for long term higher studies on my own, and when I return to my homeland, I want to teach at a university and have two baby girls through adoption. I have not yet had any relationships outside the Islamic boundary and always try my best to abide by the laws of Islam. Is there any obligation to have this lifestyle?

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

We thank you for avoiding forbidden relationships and for your eagerness to be upright in obeying Allah The Almighty. May Allah reward you with all that’s good, and we ask Him to protect you and your religion.

But marriage is one of the good matters and entails a lot of interests in this world and the Hereafter, and that is why the Sharee’ah urged it.

Allah Says (what means): {And marry the unmarried among you and the righteous among your male slaves and female slaves. If they should be poor, Allah will enrich them from His bounty, and Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing.} [Quran 24:32]

In addition to this, marriage involves many well-known benefits, in a way that it helps a person in his religion and helps one to keep himself/herself chaste.

Anas narrated: “The Prophet said: “When a man marries, he has fulfilled half of the religion; so, let him fear Allah regarding the remaining half.” [Al-Bayhaqi and al-Albaani graded it as Hassan]

The ruling on marriage differs according to circumstances. It is obligatory in the case of one who fears temptation for himself; thus, he is sinful by leaving it. Assuming that it is not obligatory in his case, he misses out on many of these [aforementioned] benefits. In addition, turning away from marriage is comparative to turning away from the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah as reported in the Hadith that reads: “Yet I pray and sleep; I fast and break my fast; I sleep and I marry women. He who is displeased with my Sunnah (practices) is not one of me (i.e., is not one of my followers).” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

The Messenger of Allah also said: “Whoever among you can afford to get married, let him do so, for it helps one lower his gaze (from looking at what is forbidden) and it helps him keep himself chaste.”

We advise you to endeavor to combine the two interests, marriage and perseverance to study, even within your country.

As for adoption, in the sense of raising children, taking care of them, and taking care of their affairs as a means of kindness to them without adopting them, then there is nothing wrong with it; rather, there may be a lot of goodness in doing so if the child is in need and does not have anyone to sponsor him.

We point out that a woman traveling to study must be in a company of a Mahram, or a trustworthy company according to the view of some scholars, and it is stipulated that the country to which she wants to travel to study is one in which she is safe from temptation.

Therefore, if she fears temptation, it is not permissible for her to travel. It is more appropriate for her in any case to look for a way to study in her country.

Allah knows best.