Flowers for the Women Wearing Veils - Volume I — Page 177
! ! 177 Consequences o f Marriages B orne from Selfish Motives A girl is naturally desirous of finding ease and comfo rt in her husband’s home and she wishes to spend her da ys in happiness and contentment. However, when these girls are wedded into unsuitable families for certain reason s , they become bitter and angry. This clearly indicates that they are not satisfied with their marriage and instead of receiving comfort, they feel only grief. Since I have receive d such complaints , I am well informed on this issue. When women are counseled or advised to endure, they reply , “What are we to do? This miserable existence has sparked flames of anguish and rage within us. Our parents were blind when they pushe d us into a position which brings nothing but distress and difficulty for us. ” A Girl ’ s Love for he r Parents This does not mean that girls no longer love their parents, or they no longer wish to be de voted and gracious towards them. Rather t hey complain because they find themselves in a never - ending suffering that they find unbearable. Otherwise , if th ose very same parents, of whom she complained, were drowning in a river , she would not hesitate to jump into the water to rescue them, regardless of whether she can save them. Due to her intense love for her parents , it would not even occur to her that she was risk ing her own life by undertaking this act. Bidding f or Girls Hence, if it becomes permissible for parents to take mehr , thousands of girls will be married to unsuitable matches, where they would lead a life of miser y, even though their parents will receive some money. Even now , many such examples can be found where marriages are irresponsibly arranged and girls are more or less sold off, rather than wed. Many people covet money, and they w ill marry the ir daughter off to wherever they can gain the most advantage, without any further consideration. I have seen with my own eyes such parents who auction off their daughters and declare that whoever brings the m the most money , can take their daughter. Such parents only value money and wed their daughters to whomever they