Islam - Its Meaning for Modern Man — Page 245
245 explain to you His commandments, that you may be rightly guided” (3:104). The family is the basic unit of human society. The foundation of a family is laid through marriage. One of the principal considerations to be kept in mind in the choice of a spouse is set out in one of the three or four verses that the Prophet always recited on the occasion of the celebration of a marriage. “O ye who believe, fear Allah, and let every soul look to what it sends forth for the morrow” (59:19). This means that the choice should be determined not only with reference to obvious and immediate considerations, but also with reference to the more lasting consequences of the contemplated union, both in this life and in the next. The Prophet has said: “Some people marry for the sake of beauty, others for family connections, others for wealth, but your choice should be determined by moral and spiritual considerations, as these are the sources of lasting happiness. ” Degrees of kinship within which marriage is prohibited are laid down (4:23 ⎯ 25). It is one of the bounties of God that He has created male and female of the same species and has put love and tenderness between them, so that they constitute a source of peace and rest for each other. “In that surely are Signs for a people who reflect” (30:22). The relationship between husband and wife is described as that of a garment and its wearer. The