Muslim Marriages in the United States.
Family is the basis of Muslim society and marriage is the foundation on which the family rests. Notwithstanding the resurgence of Christian fundamentalist thing and or the conservative political drive to enshrine family values' in American society, Muslim family values are "at least on the surface "out of step with the mainstream of Western society and its views on marriage and family. Yet, American Muslims are beginning to follow the Western trend of either marrying later or not marrying at all, despite the fact that Islam clearly favors the institution of marriage. .
General Marriage Trends in America .
Studies show that there has been a significant drop in the marriage rate over the past three decades. These declining rates can be attributed to the delayed age for first marriages. In 1998, the median age of first marriages was 26.7 for men and 25 for women compared to 22.8 for men and 20.3 for women in 1950. A key factor in contributing to the rise in the median age of marriages is the fact that more people are seeking higher degrees in education, and this incidentally leads to a more demanding work schedule. Also with more people becoming aware of the increasing divorce rates, individuals want to make sure they are committed and financially stable before going into the sacred union, so they search for a employment base. The average female income is on the rise; therefore, women are not as in need of the financial stability of a marriage. With over an 800% increase of people living together before or in place of marriage and with over 50% of all marriages being preceded by a trial marriage of cohabitation, people are marrying later because they have an inclination to test the relationship through cohabitation. .
The decrease in marriage rates can also be attributed to a disappointing marriage experience or a general fear of failure in marriage.
