The Ruling on Common Marriage

Question :

I am a young man of twenty-three years of age and I have committed many sins previously in my life, but I have turned in repentance (to Allah) and I have renounced those sins. Now I am facing a number of problems, including a struggle with myself and likewise, the attempts of some of my bad friends to persuade me to return to those sins, but my repentance and my knowledge of Allah prevents me from. returning to them. And because I am a young man in the prime of life, I am overcome by the desire to marry; for this reason, I have tried repeatedly to marry, but I have not been successful and this is affecting my prayer and my work. And because of my great fear of returning to the commission of sins, I implore Your Eminence to make it clear to me whether common marriage is permissible for me and (if so,) what it entails, bearing in mind that my financial situation is good- all praise and thanks be to Allah and also my health and employment situation are good-all praise and thanks be to Allah. And may Allah preserve you.

Allah has bestowed a great blessing upon you, by granting you repentance from the sins which you have committed, so thank Allah for that, remain steadfast in your repentance, and beware of the evil suggestions of Satan, and his minions among mankind, and seek help from Allah in that.

I ask Allah to grant you success, and protection from everything which angers Him. Beware of keeping bad company; keep company with good people, for has been authentically reported from the Prophet that he said:

"A man follows the way of his friend, so each of you should take care with whom he makes friends.

And hasten to lawful marriage and ask Allah's Help in that. As for common marriage, which is contradictory to the purified Islamic Law, it is not permissible to do it; and we would remind you of the Words of Allah, Most High:
"And whosoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine."

and the Words of Him, Most High:
"and whosoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make his matter easy for him."

May Allah grant success in attaining that which pleases Him to us all, and may He keep us all firmly upon the Truth.