Sisters’ Corner: Making your marriage work

In Islam, marriage is a solemn contract for which the Shari`ah lays down rules and arrangements to guarantee its stability. Islam’s main focus is on building a stable marital life. It goes without saying that in Islam it is the duty of the husband and wife to see that they are a source of comfort and tranquility for each other.
They should do everything physically, emotionally and spiritually to make each other feel happy and comfortable. They must care for each other.
Islam enjoins husbands to deal with their wives with kindness, decency and fairness. Intimacy is a mutual right for both husband and wife. This has been best summed up in the Qur’anic imperative: “And they (women) have rights similar to those (of men) over them in kindness…” (Al-Baqarah: 228)
Therefore, the husband should not deny himself to his wife and the wife also should not deny herself to her husband. They should do their best to satisfy their marriage partner. A husband who without any genuine reason neglects his wife’s needs is as sinful as a wife who neglects her husband’s needs without any excuse. Tranquility (sakinah), love (mawaddah) and mercy (rahmah) are very important concepts in Islam. These three summarize the ideals of Islamic marriage. It is the duty of the husband and wife to see that they are a source of comfort and tranquility for each other. They should do everything physically, emotionally and spiritually to make each other feel happy and comfortable. They must care for each other and not inflict any harm or injury, either physical or verbal, on each other. In order to increase the tranquility and comfort in their relations and in their home, they should love each other and should have mercy and kindness for each other. The Wife’s Rights; The Husband’s Obligations: Because the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, have commanded kindness to women, it is the husband’s duty to: 1- Deal with his wife in an equitable and kind manner. Allah Almighty says, ” and consort with them in kindness.” (An-Nisa’: 19) 2- Have responsibility for the full maintenance of the wife, a duty which he must discharge cheerfully, without reproach, injury, or condescension. Allah Almighty says: “Let him who hath abundance spend of his abundance, and he whose provision is measured, let him spend of that which Allah hath given him. Allah asketh naught of any soul save that which He hath given it. Allah will vouchsafe, after hardship, ease.” (At-Talaq: 7).