Islam on Marital Rights — Page 31
ISLAM ON MARITAL RIGHTS 31. God and since God binds this tie, God has made it the duty of man to treat his wife with kindness and to overlook her weaknesses and shortcomings. The Holy Quran says, "O ye who believe! Surely among your wives and your children are some that are really your enemies, so beware of them. And if you overlook and forgive and pardon, then surely, Allah is most Forgiving, Merciful. ” (64:15). . SHIELDS FOR HUSBANDS. It sometimes happens that wives become a hindrance in the way of their husbands if they wish to participate in a religious cause or to make an outstanding monetary contribution thereto. . This makes the task of winning one's salvation extremely hard. . And very often the husband too succumbs to the unreasonable demands of his wife and is apt to turn his back to the call of his faith and his responsibilities to the Hereafter. That is why Allah has called such wives and children as man's enemies. But this does not mean that all women are of the same category. No!. There are many who act as a shield for their husbands' faith, cooperate with them in doing good works and practice selfabnegation. ". God commands that it does not behove a good believer to repudiate, in a fit of anger, all his tenderness and affection for his wife and family and be ready to sever his connection with them. . The right course for him is to try to reform the erring wife by overlooking and conniving at her recalcitrance and by being patient with her over her weaknesses. If he did that and fervently prayed to Allah, he was bound to attract Divine Mercy whereby his circumstances would have changed for the better. . THE PAYMENT OF THE DOWRY. Since man has been made Qawwaam, i. e. , responsible for providing sustenance for his wife and is her guardian and protector, it has been made compulsory for him to pay a dowry to his wife as a token of acknowledgment of her role which she has taken upon herself to play as wife. God says: "And for the benefit you receive from them (women) give