The declining rates of remarriage after divorce, increasing rates of cohabitation, and increasing divorce rates all contribute to the ever-decreasing marriage rates in America. Ten percent of United States adults were "currently divorced- in 1998 compared to 3.2 percent in 1970. The instability of marriage affects everyone, but the children are hurt most of all by being raised in such an insecure environment. One-third of all children born today are born out-of wedlock. .
Benefits of Marriage.
Marriage is beneficial to people in general. Married couples have better "emotional and physical health, longer lives, more wealth, and higher earnings than single people do."" Compared to all sexually active people, faithfully married couples experience the most physical pleasure and emotional satisfaction with their sex lives. Married people have the lowest rates of alcoholism, depression, and mental disorders when compared to unmarried, divorced, and separated individuals. In addition, married individuals are the least likely to commit suicide, while divorced people have the highest risk of committing suicide. .
Importance of Marriage in Islam .
Islam strongly encourages marriages, particularly marriages that occur early in one's life. For Muslims, marriage is the most important step "short of actually becoming Muslim that any human being can take in the interests of their own happiness and well-being."" "Our Lord, grant us delight of our eyes from our spouses and our offspring - Marriage is such an important step that the Prophet (pbuh) describes it as being half the faith: "Whoever has married has completed half his religion; therefore let him fear Allah in the other half!- The reverse is also implied "that is, Muslims who fail to marry have also failed in their duty to their faith. .
Islam is a way of life; it is aimed at covering all aspects of life. Relationships with spouses and family accounts for at least half of this time, and for some women, it accounts for all of this time.