Islam on Marital Rights — Page 15
ISLAM ON MARITAL RIGHTS. CRUELTY NOT PERMISSIBLE 15. For those men who beat their wives cruelly, beyond the above limit, the Holy Prophet (s. a. w. ) has said that they are not at all good people. When he heard that some of his followers had behaved barbarously towards their wives, he expressed his displeasure and said that they were certainly not from among the best of men. •. It is evident from the above reference that recourse to corporal punishment is to be taken as a last resort and is permissible only as a means for bringing the erring lady to her senses and to avert the disaster of the ruination of the family. If the husband abuses this right in any way, then the wife may exercise her right of seeking a divorce which is, of course, a step to be taken when everything else has failed. . A HAPPY REWARD. Stressing a wife's duty of obedience to her husband, the Holy. Prophet (s. a. w. ) is reported to have observed as follows:"A woman who said her five daily prayers, regularly fasted in the month of Ramadhan, refrained from evil acts and did what her husband told her to do, will, on the day of judgment, be authorized to enter into paradise by whichever of the door thereof she might like to enter. ". The Holy Prophet (s. a. w. ) has said, "The best of women is she who adorned herself to look lovable in the eyes of her husband and who was pleased when he saw her; and she gracefully accepted decisions made by her husband and obeyed them cheerfully and she always took particular care not to displease her husband in any way or looked repugnant to him. ". A WARNING. On another occasion the Holy Prophet (s. a. w. ) is reported to have said, "There are three people whose daily prayers are not acceptable to Allah and none of their good actions ascend to heaven. The first is the slave who has absconded and does not return to his master, the second, a woman whose husband is