Marriage means home, which pillars were Adam and Eve, from who families and descendants derived, then houses, then communities, soon followed by various nations and countries sprouted. Allah the Glorified and Exalted has decreed regarding this fact, which can be translated as,
وَهُوَ الَّذِيْ خَلَقَ مِنَ الْمَاۤءِ بَشَرًا فَجَعَلَهٗ نَسَبًا وَّصِهْرًاۗ وَكَانَ رَبُّكَ قَدِيْرًا
“And He it is Who has created man from the water and then produced from him two sorts of kindred: by descent and by marriage. Your Lord is All-Powerful.”
(Chapter al Furqan/The Criterion:54)
Marriage means forging love and cooperation, putting forward other people’s behalf and sacrificing, establishing tranquility and a loving environment, a noble spiritual relationship, and lawful physical attachment.
Mushaharah is the family tie forged by marriage, such as son-in-law, father-in-law, brother-in-law, and so on. Marriage is a fortress that could repress the wildness of a human’s sexual desire, restrain his carnal desire, protect his honor and prevent him from falling into the pits of immoralities and indecencies.
We’ve seen how the Qur’an roused from each couple the feeling of the need for each other and perfecting the other’s imperfection. In essence, a woman is like a branch of a man, and a man is like a root for a woman. Thus, the root will always need its branch, and the branch will always need its root. Regarding this fact, Allah the Glorified and Exalted decreed, which can be translated as;
هُوَ الَّذِيْ خَلَقَكُمْ مِّنْ نَّفْسٍ وَّاحِدَةٍ وَّجَعَلَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا لِيَسْكُنَ اِلَيْهَاۚ فَلَمَّا تَغَشّٰىهَا حَمَلَتْ حَمْلًا خَفِيْفًا فَمَرَّتْ بِهٖ ۚفَلَمَّآ اَثْقَلَتْ دَّعَوَا اللّٰهَ رَبَّهُمَا لَىِٕنْ اٰتَيْتَنَا صَالِحًا لَّنَكُوْنَنَّ مِنَ الشّٰكِرِيْنَ
It is He who created you from a single soul (Adam) and from it He created its mate so that he would be pleased with him. So after mixing it, (his wife) became pregnant with a light pregnancy, and she continued to feel light (for some time). Then when he felt heavy, both of them (husband and wife) begged Allah, Their Lord (saying), "If You give us a pious child, of course, we will always be grateful."
(Chapter Al A’raf/The Height:189)
A single being in this verse refers to Adam, and his mate was Eve. Therefore, in Islam, marriage is not just a tool to preserve the human’s existence, but more than that, it is meant to carry out Allah’s order –Glorified and Exalted be He- as in His verse, which can be translated as;
وَاِنْ خِفْتُمْ اَلَّا تُقْسِطُوْا فِى الْيَتٰمٰى فَانْكِحُوْا مَا طَابَ لَكُمْ مِّنَ النِّسَاۤءِ مَثْنٰى وَثُلٰثَ وَرُبٰعَ ۚ فَاِنْ خِفْتُمْ اَلَّا تَعْدِلُوْا فَوَاحِدَةً اَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ اَيْمَانُكُمْ ۗ ذٰلِكَ اَدْنٰٓى اَلَّا تَعُوْلُوْاۗ
And if you fear that you will not be able to do justice to (the rights of) an orphan (when you marry her), then marry (another) woman you like: two, three or four. But if you are afraid that you will not be able to act justly, then (marry) only one person, or a female slave that you have. That is closer so that you do not do injustice.
(Chapter An Nisa/The Women:3)
Under the teaching of Islam, a couple can live their life in synergy and unity in everything; their feelings, their hearts and motivations, their ambitions and end goals, etc.
One of the magnificence the Qur’an and a sign of its perfection is that we could see all of those meanings, be it Already being mentioned or not, reflected in a verse, namely:
اُحِلَّ لَكُمْ لَيْلَةَ الصِّيَامِ الرَّفَثُ اِلٰى نِسَاۤىِٕكُمْ ۗ هُنَّ لِبَاسٌ لَّكُمْ وَاَنْتُمْ لِبَاسٌ لَّهُنَّ ۗ عَلِمَ اللّٰهُ اَنَّكُمْ كُنْتُمْ تَخْتَانُوْنَ اَنْفُسَكُمْ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَعَفَا عَنْكُمْ ۚ فَالْـٰٔنَ بَاشِرُوْهُنَّ وَابْتَغُوْا مَا كَتَبَ اللّٰهُ لَكُمْ ۗ وَكُلُوْا وَاشْرَبُوْا حَتّٰى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الْاَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الْاَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِۖ ثُمَّ اَتِمُّوا الصِّيَامَ اِلَى الَّيْلِۚ وَلَا تُبَاشِرُوْهُنَّ وَاَنْتُمْ عَاكِفُوْنَۙ فِى الْمَسٰجِدِ ۗ تِلْكَ حُدُوْدُ اللّٰهِ فَلَا تَقْرَبُوْهَاۗ كَذٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللّٰهُ اٰيٰتِهٖ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُوْنَ
"It is permissible for you to fast at night with your wife. They are clothing for you, and you are clothing for them. God knows that you cannot control yourself, but He accepts your repentance and forgives you. So now join them and seek what God has ordained for you. Eat and drink until it is clear to you (the difference) between the white thread and the black thread, which is dawn. Then complete the fast until (come) night. But do not mix with them, when you are in the mosque. That is God's provision, so do not approach him. This is how God explains His verses to people, so that they may be righteous."
(Chapter al Baqarah/The Cow: 187)
A husband’s proclivity towards his wife and the peace that he feels from being with her, and the attachment of a wife to her husband is something natural and befit their instincts. The above verse is the foundation of a life that is always filled with utter comfiness. A wife is like a shelter to her husband, after a day full of struggle to earn some living, and the place to find comfort after all of his tiredness and weariness. In the end, it is in this place all his exhaustions will be unloaded. It is true, for his wife, who should welcome him with fondness, and a cheery and smiley face. At that time, her husband will find in her, ears that listen to him well, compassionate heart, and comforting talk..
The qualities of a righteous woman is emphasized in the aim of her creation, namely, becoming a tranquility for man, with all the meanings of the word “tranquility (sakinah)” itself. And for a tranquility to be addressed as proper, it (read: the woman) has to meet some criteria, the most important which are: its owner shall fill please whenever he looks at it, it is capable of preserving his family and his wealth, it doesn’t let anyone who defy him live with it.
