Islamic Guidance: Husband and Wife Relationship

Islam is not merely a religion that asks to you worship and get closer to God. The religion guides humankind in each and every aspect of life. It is a way of life that is not limited to your relation with God, but also tells you how you should go about with other people, be it your parents, or your siblings, or friends and neighbors or your children or even your spouse.

Before the advent of Islam, ignorance and wilderness were spread everywhere. Women had no rights neither as sisters, nor as daughters and not even as wives. The religion of Islam came and elevated the position of women. Where it laid down a few rules and principles, it also laid down the basic rules of forming a good mutual understanding between husband and wife. As previously believed that women were much lower in status than men were, Islam raised women and said that both were equal.

It gave rights and responsibilities to both husbands and wives. Where there were rights of husbands on wives, Islam also outlined the rights of wives on husbands. If each of them fulfills the rights of others and performs his duties, an amazing husband wife relation is formed that cannot be broken by anybody.

Islam asked wives to obey their husbands. They were asked to protect their husbands’ properties in their absence. A wife is also given the duty to bring up her husband’s children and protect his house. She is not allowed to allow anybody to enter his house without his permission. Islam also taught women that the respect and honor of their husband is actually their respect and honor. Islam also taught women to be thankful to their husbands for whatever they give them. They should be a source of comfort for their husbands.

The Holy Quran says:

“Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient and guard in (the husband’s) absence what Allah would have them guard.” (4:34)

On the other side of the coin, where Islam tells a woman how she should be with her husband, it also tells husbands how they should treat their wives. Husbands are ordered to be kind towards their women. The Holy Prophets (Peace be upon Him) is reported to have said: “The best among you is he who is most kind to his wife.”

Similarly, the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon Him) gave a lot of importance to the rights of women and the treatment of wives in his last sermon. He said that wives have rights over husbands and husbands have rights over wives. Husbands should treat their wives with kindness.

Among the rights of wives over husbands outlined by Islam, we see that a man should feed his wife what he eats and make her wear what he wears himself and should not mistreat her.

Similarly, it tells a woman to be obedient towards her husband. She should guard the reputation of her husband in his absence and cause him comfort. It is also narrated by Holy Prophet (Peace be upon Him): “A wife who dies while her husband is pleased with her will enter Paradise.”

Thus, the husband wife bond is a very precious bond. God has made the system of marriage such that both wives and husbands become a source of comfort and support for each other. They should live in peace and cooperation.