Woman in Islamic Shari‘ah
9. Dowry
~ 217 ~
she is active or idle, whether she helps her parents
or not, and she can safely expect them to continue
to love her, regardless of the circumstances of her
life, and regardless of how her own character
develops. But she has no such blood relationship
with her in-laws. Love from them will never be
unconditional, but will exist, cease to exist, increase
or decrease, in direct relation to the impression
which her character and abilities make upon them
in the general round of daily living.
For the bride, entering the marriage bond is like
undergoing a series of tests, the outcome of which
will determine whether her married life will be
stable and happy, or exactly the reverse. If a girl
feels like a fish out of water in her new home, it
simply means that she has to make greater efforts to
understand and adapt herself to her new
environment. Wise parents will warn their
daughters in advance that they must learn to mold
themselves to new sets of circumstances.
A girl who enters marriage with a correct
appreciation of what is required of her will make
the transition with the greatest of ease. She will
