Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) — 56: The Nature Of
Islamic Marriage
11 January 2011Islamic Perspectives - Muslim
Journals
Arab News & Information - By Sheikh Muhammad Al-Ghazali
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) elevated marriage
to a level that is unparalleled in human history.
Marriage is a contract between free people, started
and completed by God's permission and under His care.
The Prophet highlighted this fact in his public speech
before 200,000 pilgrims. He said: "Fear God in your
treatment of your wives. You take them (as wives) as a
trust from God, and they become lawful to you by God's
word".
This contract is of a nature that is both material and
spiritual, earthly and heavenly. It builds a home
based on mutual love, compassion and trust. It also
has a social nature that allows healthy human growth.
Islam wants the family home to be built on the basis
of goodness and piety, as well as mutual cooperation
in all aspects of life.
The contract begins by a short speech by the person
officiating the marriage. Here is a good example,
starting with a supplication and ending with three
Qur'anic verses: "All praise is due to God: we praise
Him, seek His help and forgiveness, appeal for His
protection against our own wayward tendencies. Whoever
God guides will not go astray, and whoever He leaves
to go astray will have none to guide him. I bear
witness that there is no deity other than God, and
that Muhammad is God's servant and messenger whom He
sent with the message of truth, to give happy tidings
and warnings of the imminence of the Day of Judgment.
Whoever obeys God and His messenger follows the right
path, and whoever disobeys them harms only himself and
cannot harm God in anyway. ‘Mankind, fear your Lord,
who has created you from a single soul, and from it
created its mate, and from the two of them spread
abroad so many men and women. Fear God, in whose name
you appeal to one another, and be mindful of your ties
of kinship. Indeed, God is ever watching over you.'
(4: 1) ‘Believers! Fear God as you rightly should, and
do not allow death to overtake you before you have
surrendered yourselves truly to Him.' (3: 102)
‘Believers! Have fear of God and say only what is just
and true for then He will cause your deeds to be good
and sound, and He will forgive you your sins. Whoever
obeys God and His Messenger will certainly achieve a
great triumph.'" (33: 70-71) The person in charge then
confirms the contract based on commitment and
acceptance by the two parties. He reminds the
bridegroom in particular of the need to always remain
God-fearing, treat his wife well and abide by Islamic
teachings.
Reflection on the quoted Qur'anic verses will show
that they stress the importance of being always
God-fearing and help to establish a family that will
add a new unit to the Muslim society. In short, Islam
views marriage as a serious contract with far reaching
effects.
Years go by and the couple become parents, sacrificing
much to bring up their children. As the children grow
up, following in the footsteps of the preceding
generations, certain duties are required of them, as
outlined in the following verse: "We have enjoined
upon man to show kindness to his parents: in pain did
his mother bear him, and in pain did she give him
birth. His bearing and weaning takes thirty months.
And so, when he attains to full manhood and reaches
the age of forty, he prays: ‘My Lord! Grant me that I
may be grateful for the blessings with which You have
graced me and my parents, and that I may do good work
that will meet with Your goodly acceptance. Grant me
good descendants. To You I turn in repentance. I am
indeed one of those who submit themselves to You."
(46: 15) The present generation submits to the
Creator, remembering His grace bestowed on the
preceding generation and praying for more grace to be
bestowed on the future generation. Such is the Muslim
family home: it cements the relation with God, and
maintains the traditions of submission to Him and
worshipping Him alone.
©
EsinIslam.Com
Add Comments