Woman in Islamic Shari‘ah
11. Success in marriage
~ 240 ~
one is willing to forget the slightest misdemeanor.
The only way that a new bride can make things
easier for herself is to adjust to her new
environment. She should avoid doing or saying
anything which could possibly invite an unpleasant
reaction. It also helps if she is tolerant of things
which are not to her liking and, if someone’s
behavior is contrary to what she expected, makes
allowances for this and refrains from brooding over
it. This is the only way for a girl to make a success
of her life in her new home. No other course
possible.
It is an unwise father who teaches his daughter to
be assertive in her in-law’s house in the mistaken
belief that this ill give her the upper hand. A wise
man would tell his daughter to adopt a conciliatory
stance. The success or failure of married life
depends entirely upon the bride’s willingness or
unwillingness to adapt.
TWO EXAMPLES
Two opposite cases come to mind. One is of a
daughter who, being the apple of her parent’s eye,
