I heard some of my friends who intend to marry for the second time soon saying that if one wants to be rich, he should marry. Is this true? Are these words considered a Hadeeth, a tradition or a saying?

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.

These words were mentioned in a tradition that was narrated after some of the honorable companions of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam , concerning the interpretation of the Quranic verse, in which Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {And marry the unmarried among you and the righteous among your male slaves and female slaves. If they should be poor, Allaah will enrich them from His bounty, and Allaah is all-Encompassing and Knowing.} [Quran 24:32]

At-Tabari narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas and his father, said that Allaah The Almighty commanded Muslims to marry and promised to make them rich.  At-Tabari also narrated that Ibn Mas‘ood and his father, said in his interpretation of this verse, that if one wants to be rich he should marry.

Ibn Katheer narrated that Abu Bakr adduced this verse after he said that if someone marries for the sake of Allaah The Almighty, He will fulfill His promise to make him rich.

'Abdur-Razzaaq narrated that ‘Umar used to wonder at the person who wanted to be rich without trying to achieve this through marriage, adducing the same Quranic verse too.

However there is a Dha‘eef (weak) Hadeeth, as judged by Al-Albaani on this matter. It was narrated by Al-Haakim and Al-Bazzaar on the authority of ‘Aa’ishah and by Abu-Dawood and Ibn Abi Shaybah on the authority of ‘Urwah Ibn Az-Zubayr, may Allaah Have mercy upon him, that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, commanded men to marry women as they bring wealth with them. Ad-Daaraqutni considered the opinion that this Hadeeth is Dha‘eef as preponderant.

On the other hand, the saying where the poor person is promised riches if he marries, that is attributed to the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is not mentioned in any of the books of Hadeeths as pointed out by Ibn Katheer . He also stated that what is mentioned in the Quran is enough regardless of this inauthentic tradition. Indeed, Ibn Katheer is right, since it is enough that Allaah The Almighty has promised to make rich the poor person who marries, as long as he intends to please Allaah and protect himself from adultery.

This was also stated by Imaam Al-Qurtubi and Shaykh Ash-Shinqeeti as the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, commanded he who can afford marriage to marry, because it will help him refrain from looking at other women and be chaste. Therefore, whoever marries for these reasons will be obeying Allaah The Almighty and therefore He will make him rich.

This is also supported by the Hadeeth that was narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrah where the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said that Allaah The Almighty supports the person who wants to marry with the aim of protecting himself from committing adultery.  [Ahmad, At-Tirmithi, An-Nasaa’i and Ibn Maajah]

All this applies to those who want to marry one wife or more. 

Allaah Knows best.