Woman Between Islam and Western Society
9. Dowry
~ 451 ~
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
soon, by virtue of her character and
accomplishments, earn the same honorable position
in her parents-in-law’s home as she had in her
parents’ home solely on account of their love for
her. For such a girl, entering marriage will be as
easy as changing her habits of dress with the change
of the season.
In the case of a girl who enters marriage,
uninstructed by her parents as to the realities of life
in her parents-in-Iaw’s home, friction is likely to
arise because she does not consider her new home
her real abode in life. She does not think of it as
being her own home. As a result her parents-in-law
will be repelled rather than attracted by her and
they, too, will not think of her as their own. In such
a situation it is the girl herself who has to pay the
price. Her life will be fretted away, with little sense
of fulfillment; she will be fortunate indeed if her
afflictions are only psychological. It is a matter of
great regret that girls in this position seldom realize
that their woes have no basis in fact, but stem
