Background and Objective: Marital commitment is a multidimensional and sensitive construct in family life, influenced by socio-cultural contexts. This study aimed to examine the role of religious beliefs and family functioning in marital commitment, with the mediation of gender role expectations, among young couples.

Methods: The research design was descriptive-correlational using structural equation modeling. The statistical population consisted of young couples with at least 5 years of married life. An initial sample size of 400 was estimated based on Cochran's formula; after removing incomplete data, 250 participants were analyzed. Instruments included the McMaster Family Assessment Device, the Janbozorgi Religious Adherence Questionnaire, the Bem Sex Role Inventory, and the Adams and Jones Marital Commitment Questionnaire. Data was analyzed using path analysis in AMOS software.

Results: Religious ambivalence (β = -0.762), religious non-adherence (β = 0.351), and religious adherence (β = 0.235) had significant direct effects on gender role. Family functioning also showed a significant direct effect on gender role (β = 0.081). Gender role significantly predicted marital commitment (β = -0.572). Moreover, religious beliefs and family functioning had significant direct effects on marital commitment. The Sobel test confirmed that gender role, as a mediator, strengthened the relationships of religious beliefs and family functioning with marital commitment.

Conclusion: Religious beliefs and family functioning significantly affect marital commitment through gender roles. Therefore, attention to religious beliefs, family functioning, and gender role expectations is essential for strengthening marital commitment in young couples.