Ahmadiyyat or The True Islam — Page 236
236 Quran warns those who are about to marry to consider what effect the contemplated union would have on the purity of their lives, and what sort of legacy in the form of issue it is likely to leave behind. The Holy Prophet sa says, 'Some people marry for beauty, others for rank, and others for wealth, but you should marry a good and pious woman. ' 131 This alone should be the true basis of marriage, and if it is not kept in view in the choice of a mate, the relationship between husband and wife is not likely to run a smooth course and the issue of the union is likely to suffer. The moral and intellectual qualities of the parents leave their mark upon the children. This has been amply illustrated by the study of eugenics. Though the inferences drawn by the students of eugenics are not always free from exaggeration, there can be no doubt that the moral and intellectual qualities of the parents are to a greater or lesser degree reflected in their chil- dren. The choice of a husband or a wife, therefore, becomes a matter of vital importance. The first rule laid down by Islam, therefore, is that in the choice of a mate greater weight ought to be attached to the qualities of the head and the heart than to the external circumstances of looks, wealth or rank. Islam does not despise the latter, but they ought not to constitute the primary basis of marriage. If a man and a woman are drawn towards each other on account of their piety, morals, and intelli- 131 Bukh a r i , Kit a b-al-Nik ah.