Forty Gems of Beauty — Page 77
77 Explanatory Notes The Holy Prophet (May peace and blessings of Allah be on him) has, in this Hadith, after stating the considerations that determine the selection of a wife, enjoined on Muslims that their choice of a spouse should be governed primarily by consideration of religious piety and moral endowments. As a consequence of this, he says, their family lives will be happy and full of bliss. Otherwise, they may enjoy a temporary and superficially pleasant break, but they cannot have true and abiding felicity. This saying of the Holy Prophet (May peace and blessings of Allah be on him) is pregnant with deep wisdom, for, not only has it opened a way to basing the home life of Muslims on the happiest foundations, but it has also made provision for the well-being and security of the coming generations. But it is a great pity that leaving aside other nations, even the majority of Muslims either totally ignore the aspect of piety and morality while choosing a wife, or give greater consideration to other aspects than to the religious angle. One would fall for her beauty and shut his eyes to other aspects; another would be wholly won over on account of her wealth, while what constitutes the lasting foundation of happy home life are piety and moral dualities of the wife. There are innumerable instances of men marrying wives for their beauty and comeliness of looks, but when their beauty wanes with time, as all beauty must wane, or on the sight of a prettier woman the unprincipled husband turns away from her, it so happens that after daily contact with the wife, the husband discovers some unpleasant aspects of her habits, leave alone a life of felicity, for the husband the home becomes real hell. The same is true in the case of family lineage, on account of which the wife often betrays an air of superiority and an exaggerated sense of pride vis-à-vis her husband, and this is fatal to family bliss. Wealth, of course, is a passing thing. One possesses it today and loses it on the morrow. And