Ihsaan Magazine May 2017 (Ramadhan Issue) | Page 48

Half Your Deen
can
marriage
be a FORM OF
WORSHIP
“And one of His signs is that He has created for you, spouses
from amongst yourselves so that you might take comfort
in them and He has placed between you, love and mercy. In
this, there is surely evidence (of the truth) for the people who
carefully think.” (Surah Ar-Rum: 21)
T
he sanctity of marriage was
ordained since the creation of
Adam and his wife Hawaa (Eve)
(AS), signifying the union of two
souls for the pleasure of Allah
as well as for the procreation of
mankind. Marriage is a means
through which the husband and
wife are brought together in
mutual love, honour, respect, and
understanding along with a host
of other emotional, physical and
psychological needs being met
lawfully, in the Sight of Allah. This
binding contract however, is not
one to be taken lightly, because,
through this beautiful union, you
have decided to wholeheartedly
give all of yourself to your spouse
and vice versa. Marriage in Islam
goes much deeper than the purpose
of fulfilling one’s desires or merely
having children – it serves a greater
purpose by which the actions
done as husband and wife, will
In Shaa Allah (if Allah wills) gain
much reward and blessings from
Allah. Marriage can thus be a form
of worship to Allah through the
following means:
1
Help build each other’s Imaan
One of the main ingredients
in a Muslim marriage that will
certainly bring benefit to both
spouses, in this world and more
so in the hereafter, is having both
husband and wife being a means
of help, encouragement, upliftment
46 | Ihsaan | Issue 2
and support for each other in the
matters of the Deen (religion of
Islam). It is extremely important
that a marriage is based on the
fact that each spouse is able to
teach the other something about
Islam, and be a helping hand and
guide, particularly during the
periods when it is needed the most,
or if perchance one or the other
struggles in any way. Just as calling
others to the religion of Islam or
giving beneficial reminders to
fellow Muslims, would certainly
add to the scale of good deeds, so
to would there be great reward in
doing the same for one’s own spouse
In Shaa Allah.
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be
pleased with him) from the
Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him) who said: “A
woman may be married for four
things: her wealth, her lineage,
her beauty and her religious
commitment. Seek the one who
is religiously-committed, may
your hands be rubbed with dust
(i.e., may you prosper).”
Sahih Al-Bukhari& Sahih
Muslim
2
Even the simplest action
counts
Narrated Sa’d bin Abi
Waqqas: Allah’s Messenger
(Salallahualaihiwa salaam) said,
“You will be rewarded
for whatever you spend
for Allah’s sake even if
it were a morsel which
you put in your wife’s
mouth.” (Sahih Al-
Bukhari)
Our beloved Messenger
Muhammad (SAW)
explicitly told us, as
mentioned in the hadith
above that even a morsel
of food fed to one’s wife
will be counted as a
good deed on our scales
on Yawmul Qiyyamah
(The Day of Judgement).
What then does this say
about the relationship
between a husband and
wife? A marriage is full
of blessings and endless
opportunities to gain
the pleasure, Mercy,
and indeed reward from
Allah. Being in a marriage
that is filled with love,
mutual kindness, respect
for each other, honour,
compassion, mercy
towards each other, is
surely in following the
commands of Allah with
regards to having good
manners and being a
person of goodness.
“..And live with them in
kindness..” (Surah An-
Nisa: 19)
3
Love & Mercy
One of the purposes of
marriage is fulfilling the
natural desires that each
and everyone has, as well
as making permissible,
being with the person
you love. Allah has placed
in our hearts the ability
to love and He has given
us the means to find
comfort and contentment
through marriage. When
a husband and wife look
at each other with love
and mercy, they are
rewarded by Allah. Just
as when spouses go to
each other to fulfil their
natural desires, they are
both rewarded because
they have chosen to obey Allah and
go about this in a halaal (lawful)
manner, as opposed to committing
the haram (unlawful) with someone
outside of marriage. Allah has told
us in various verses of the Qur’an,
what the purpose of marriage is;
“They (your wives) are a clothing
(covering) for you and you too
are a clothing (covering) for
them.” (Surah Al-Baqarah: 187)
“And one of His signs is that
He has created for you, spouses
from amongst yourselves so that
you might take comfort in them
and He has placed between you,
love and mercy. In this, there is
surely evidence (of the truth) for
the people who carefully think.”
(Surah Ar-Rum: 21)
4
Raising Pious Children
One of the purposes of marriage
is to facilitate the bearing of
children and to raise these children
in the path of Islam, with proper
guidance, moral upbringing and
upon piety. As parents, particularly
Muslim parents, the first and
foremost responsibility we have, and
the first right of the child upon the
parents, is that the child is taught,
and brought up upon the correct
understanding of Islam and his
duties towards Allah. This in itself is
a form of worship, because teaching
the deen to others is a command of
Allah. Bringing up children to be
strong, righteous, dutiful Muslims, is
the purpose of having children and
is pleasing to Allah, thereby earning
great rewards, In Shaa Allah. Allah
says;
“O you who believe! Ward off
yourselves and your families
against a Fire (Hell) whose fuel
is men and stones, over which
are (appointed) angels stern
(and) severe, who disobey not,
(from executing) the Commands
they receive from Allah, but do
that which they are commanded”
[Surah At Tahreem 66:6]
“And enjoin As-Salaah (the
prayer) on your family, and be
patient in offering them [i.e. the
Salaah (prayers)]”
[Ta-Ha 20:132]
In the above verses of Qur’an, Allah
explicitly commands the Muslims
to enjoin the Salaah (Obligatory
Payers) upon the family and to also
ward off the Fire from the family as
well. To do this we must ensure that
as husband and wife, Islam is learnt
together and most importantly
implemented together in the home,
especially making every effort and
sacrifice to teach the children and
do the best in ensuring they are
brought up as righteous Muslims,
who will then pass on the deen
to their own children and the
generations to come. Not only will
raising pious children bring benefit
to themselves, to the society and
to Islam in general, but it will be
a major source of benefit for the
parents. Indeed every good action
that children do, will be a reward for
the parents as well as themselves, by
Allah’s Mercy.
It was narrated from Abu
Hurairah that the Prophet
(Salallahualaihiwa salaam) said:
“A man may be raised in status
in Paradise and will say, Where
did this come from? And it will
be said: From your son’s praying
for forgiveness for you.”
(Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 3660)
Indeed in following the commands
of Allah and in following in the
footsteps of our beloved Muhammad
(SAW), with regards to marriage
and all that it entails, we will most
certainly see the blessings and the
mercy being showered. Is marriage
a form of worship? Certainly, from
the most simple of actions between
spouses, to the most challenging
yet most rewarding task of raising
children, in these are many
opportunities to earn the pleasure
of Allah and indeed add to our
scale of good deeds on The Day of
Judgement; we simply need to have
the right intentions and sincerity in
everything we do.
WRITTEN by. ROCHELLE FLORES