How can a man tell if he’s truly ready for marriage?
As-salamu alaykum, I’m a brother thinking about settling down and searching for a wife, insha’Allah. But honestly, I’m not sure if I’m ready yet. I’ll try to sum up my situation briefly, and I’d appreciate your honest advice: - I live in Canada, but my family is back in the Gulf. I’m planning to leave Canada early next year and start fresh over there, insha’Allah. - I’ve saved up about a year’s Canadian salary, though I lost a chunk of it in crypto. Alhamdulillah, I’ve learned my lesson about being impulsive with money. - I’ve always had a temper-if someone disrespects my family, deen, or me, I react fast. Alhamdulillah, I’ve gotten better recently and I’m working on improving more. - I deal with sleep issues sometimes, especially since my family left me here alone. My mind races with all the things I need to handle. - I pray my five daily prayers on time, but fajr sometimes slips because I oversleep. Beyond the basics-fasting Ramadan, paying zakat, and occasional sadaqah-I struggle with sunnah prayers and adhkar. The fast-paced life here makes it hard, and it makes me sad. - I’m left-handed, and eating with my right hand is a challenge unless I’m using a spoon; I keep trying to remind myself. - I’ve never had a relationship with a woman. Many friends encourage me, but thinking about haram relationships gives me a strange chest pain. - Lowering my gaze is difficult because I feel lonely; after work, I often end up scrolling social media to pass time. For a wife, I simply hope she’s practicing-maybe even more than me, or a hafiza of the Qur’an-so we can lift each other in good deeds. I’d prefer someone with a clean past, who wears hijab, and is slim. Looks aren’t my main concern. Based on this, do you think I’m approaching marriage with enough maturity?