Understanding Islam — Page 148
ARE WOMEN VIOLENTLY OPPRESSED IN ISLAM? 146 Islamic teachings remind men that their relationships should be a means of attaining “peace of mind” and that the relationship should be one of “love and tenderness”. They are further reminded to behave in a manner that is forgiving; and that if one dislikes something about one’s wife, one should realise that there may be many latent benefits and elements of saving grace in the very thing one dislikes. Men are further prohibited from “inheriting women against their will”, cutting to the root of forced marriages that are so prevalent in some cultures. Such teachings demonstrate that a wife is not a slave, but an equal companion, whose rights must be respected and safeguarded. It is in this particular context of the above- described ideal relationship between a husband and his wife that the teaching is given to a husband who is faced with a recalcitrant, abusive, hating and injurious wife. The man is advised to begin with relevant advice and necessary words of admonition as measures to ameliorate the situation and address the issues involved. If this approach persistently fails to bring about the desired results and the wife continues to behave in physically or verbally