Malfuzat – Volume III — Page 35
35 They all seek to murder you; at times they kill you with harmony, and at times with war. The Holy Quran has encapsulated this subject in the following verse: 1 ٌ ۃ َ اِنَّمَاۤ اَمْوَالُكُمْ وَ اَوْلَادُكُمْ فِتْن Your wealth and your children are but a trial. In this verse, the word amwalukum (your wealth) refers to wives as well. Since women cover and veil themselves, they have been veiled, as it were, in the afore- mentioned verse, and not mentioned explicitly by name. This word also refers to women because man spends his wealth to bring home a wife. The word mal, which means ‘wealth’, refers to that which naturally attracts and inclines a person to itself, and therefore, this word is derived from ma’il (to be naturally inclined or fond of something). Since the male is naturally attracted to the female, the word mal , refers to women as well. In this instance, the word mal has been used so that other pleasures more general in nature are not excluded. Otherwise, in this verse, if only the word nisa (women) had been used, the statement would refer only to two things: one’s wife and children. Now, in addition to this, if man’s other pleas- ures had been enumerated individually, the list would have no end, even after many, many pages had been exhausted. Therefore, mal , refers to: ُ کُل َّ مَا یَمِیْل ُ اِلَیْہ ِ الْقَلْب All that to which the heart is inclined. In this instance, children have been mentioned because one considers them to be a piece of one’s heart; an heir. In summary, Allah the Exalted and the worldly pleasures of man are two things that are diametrically opposed to one another. Both cannot coexist simultaneously. Benevolence Towards One’s Wife Now, do not surmise from this that women are possessions of low and insignifi- cant standing. Not at all! Our Perfect Guide, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said: 1 al-Anfal , 8:29 p. 31