Islamic Teachings on Ideal Family Life — Page 11
~ 11 ~ partners, and must be respected, loved and honored by each other. In this regard, Ḥ a ḍ rat Mirz ā Ghul ā m A ḥ mad, the Promised Messiah, peace be on him, says: “There are two types of men. There are those who leave their women entirely free. Their women pay no heed to religion and conduct themselves in a manner contrary to Isl ā m, and there is no one to check up on them. There are others who treat them with such severity and strictness that their women cannot be distinguished from animals. They are treated worse than slaves and wild beasts. They beat them mercilessly as if they are lifeless objects. In short they are greatly ill-treated. There is a proverb in the Punjab that a wife is like a pair of shoes, which may be cast away at will and replaced by another. Such an attitude is most objectionable and is contrary to Isl ā m. The Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of All ā h be upon him, is a perfect exemplar for us in every respect. Study his life and see how he behaved towards women. I esteem a person who stands up against a woman is a coward and unmanly. If you study the life of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of All ā h be upon him, you will find that he was so courteous, that despite his high dignity, if an old woman stopped to talk to him, he continued to listen to her till she let him go. ” (Malf ūẓā t, Vol. IV, p. 44) Again, Almighty All ā h says in the Holy Qur’ ā n: