8.3.9 Relationships and Marriage ( Nikah) - Introduction to System of Islam | System Of Islam

8.3.9 Relationships and Marriage ( Nikah) - Introduction to System of Islam | System Of Islam

Marriage is highly recommended in Islam, with men and women being encouraged to marry as soon as they are able (i.e. physically mature and capable of supporting a wife). It is in fact seen as an act of worship, and every act of fulfilment between husband and wife is a charity.

Anas (ra) narrated that the Prophet (saw) said, “When a man marries, he has fulfilled half of his deen, so let him fear Allah regarding the remaining half.”.

Marriage is regarded as a companionship between men and women, as opposed to a partnership. The objectives of marriage are two :

To enjoy the company of a member of the opposite sex.

To have children thereby guaranteeing the continuity of the human race.

The contract of marriage is called nikah, and it is a contract between a man and a woman of which all the conditions must be fulfilled for it to be correct and valid. These include:

Offer and acceptance.

No compulsion or duress.

Two witnesses.

Waliy amr (guardian of the bride).

Payment of mahr (dowry, not necessarily money) from the man to the woman.

The man and woman are not mahram to each other.

The woman is not in her ‘iddah (waiting period).

The man and woman are eligible for marriage (e.g. woman is unmarried).

The Muslim woman must only marry a Muslim man, and it is forbidden for her to marry a man of any other belief. Regarding the marriage of believing women, Allah (swt) says,.

“They are not lawful for the disbelievers, nor are the disbelievers lawful for them.” [TMQ 60:10].

However, it is permitted for the Muslim man to marry a non-Muslim woman from the People of the Book (Jew or Christian), provided that they are chaste and unmarried. Allah (swt) says,.

“Lawful unto you in marriage are not only the chaste women who are believers, but chaste women among the people of the Book revealed before your time, when you give them their due dowers and desire chastity, not lewdness nor secret intrigues.” [TMQ 5:5].

Within the framework of marriage, the Shari‘ah has defined different roles and duties that men and women have. They complement each other perfectly, such that the life between man and woman is filled with harmony and tranquillity.

The main responsibilities of the wife are :

Obedience and taking permission of her husband.

Looking after her husbands wealth : This includes his money, property etc.

Welfare of her husband : She must ensure that her husband’s needs are taken care of.

Looking after the children.

The main rights of the wife from her husband are :

Companionship : It is the right of the wife that her husband gives her companionship and maintains an environment of love and affection for her.

Spending and shelter : The husband must look after her material needs, provide shelter for her, and give her anything she needs to fulfil her role as a wife. This includes providing things for her which she can use to adorn herself and make herself beautiful.

Khul‘a (Right of divorce) : The wife can ask for separation from her husband if she is unhappy with the marriage. There are three reasons for which she can do this : a) He harms her directly, e.g. beating her, b) He harms her indirectly, e.g. not providing for her or her children, c) She hates him.

Custody of the children : It is the right of the wife if the marriage ends to have custody of the children as long as they are below the age of seven.

From these descriptions, it can be seen that the details of these rights and duties for both men and women complement each other perfectly. In Islam, there is no issue of struggle for rights, or disputes between the roles that each fulfils. These are all defined by Allah (swt), so obedience to them means that men and women are freed from oppression and dominance by members of the opposite sex.

Indeed, Islam obliges that husband and wife make the utmost efforts to keep a beautiful and co-operative relationship with each other.

Abu Hurayrah (ra) reported that the Prophet (saw) said, “The most perfect of the believers in faith is he who is best of them in conduct, and the best of you are those who are best to their wives.” Tirmidhi.

‘Abdullah ibn Amr reported that the Prophet (saw) said, “The whole world is a provision, and the best object of benefit of the world is the pious woman.” Muslim