Woman in Islamic Shari‘ah
6. The Rights of Husband and Wife
~ 139 ~
says: “Of the worldly goods, there is nothing better
than a virtuous wife.”
121
119. Bukhari,
Sahih, Kitab aI-Jumu’ah,
(
Fath aI-Bari,
2/304).
120. An-Nasa’i,
Sunan, Kitab an-Nikah,
6/68.
121. Ibn Majah,
Sunan, Kitab an-Nikah,
1/596.
GIVING IMPORTANCE TO THE INWARD
RATHER THAN THE OUTWARD
On the subject of their wives, the Qur’an enjoins
men: “Treat them with kindness; for even if you do
dislike them it may well be that you may dislike a
thing which God has meant for your own good.”
122
The same point has been made in a
hadith:
“No
believing man should hate a believing woman. Even
if he does not like one of her habits, another of her
ways will be of his liking.”
123
To put it differently,
this teaching means that even if outwardly
unpleasant, a wife should not cause aversion,
because God has not made anyone imperfect in all
respects. All men and women, if deficient in some
respects are gifted in other respects.
