Ma`rifat Farhangi Ejtemaei

Undoubtedly, the issue of singleness and lack of marital companionship is one of the pressing challenges facing Islamic societies, leading to various social crises—including demographic decline and population aging. But so far, none of the humane solutions to this problem have been successful, and the consequences of this problem continue to plague Islamic society. Given that the Holy Qur’an is a divine source addressing various aspects of human life—and particularly in verse 32 of Surah al-Nur, it speaks of marriage for the unmarried and offers strategies to resolve the problem of singleness—it can be considered a reliable source for addressing this concern. The findings of this study reveal two categories of solutions: 1. At the macro level, all members of the Islamic society—both individuals and institutions—are religiously obligated to synergize their efforts, using all available resources, to facilitate the marriage of unmarried individuals within the community. 2. At the micro level, several strategies have also been proposed in this regard: (a) fostering motivation for marriage; (b) facilitating the marriage process; and (c) providing financial assistance to economically disadvantaged singles.