The Husband's Responsibilities in a Muslim Marriage - According to The Quran

"And among his signs is that He created mates for you from yourselves that you may find comfort and repose in them, and He put between you love and compassion; most surely there are signs in this for people who reflect" (30:21)

In Islam men are the guardians and maintainers of their wives. According to the Quran, Allah has declared, and it is not up to men, women or society to do otherwise. Husbands are the decision makers and the providers, however not just in regards to finances. The husband is also meant to take care of his wife's emotional and psychological needs as well.

Let us discuss a few of the husband's specific responsibilities towards his wife in eye of Sunnah and the Quran regarding a Muslim marriage:

Husbands should be patient with their wives especially, if there is something they don't like about them.It is important for the husband to keep promises he made to his wife at the time of marriage.He cannot order her to do something which is against the religion. The prophet (peace be upon him) said, "No obedience is due to creatures in disobedience of Creator".Respecting and paying attention to his wife and her needs.The Prophet (peace be upon him) advised young men to marry, "because it cast down the gaze and up the genital". Therefore husband should not seek a sexual relationship other than their wives.Husbands should keep any secrets of his family to himself rather than going out and discussing with others.A good Muslim husband should trust his wife completely and listen to her advice whenever she chooses to give it.The prophet (peace be upon him) said that the best gift or charity (sadaqa) is that spent on one's wife. So be generous to your wife.If a husband can afford it, he should hire help for his wife for household chores, such as cooking, cleaning, etc.Husbands should never put their wives in a shameful position or talk about her with his friends or other men.In case of a disagreement do not rush for divorce but try to work out differences if possible. According to Holy Quran, "(after pronouncing the divorce) she must be retained in honor or released in kindness" (2:228).If something about the wife displeases the husband he should not dwell on it all the time, instead he should look for positive attributes and praise her for them.The husband should not keep away from his wife and keep her in a state of anticipation, for a long period without her consent. Allah said "Turn not away (from your wife) altogether, so as to leave her hanging. If you come to a friendly understanding and practice self-restraint, then Allah is Oft-Forgiving, and merciful" (4:129)

Adham Hazem runs Single Muslim Meet, a Muslim matrimony and introduction service for Muslim singles. Single Muslim Meet has an extensive article section where Adham offers tips and writes articles that help people have a successful Muslim marriage and family. Some of the articles you will find on his website are; Choosing a Spouse, How to Have a Successful Muslim Marriage, The Muslim Matrimony Process, and much more. To read more of Adham's articles visit the article section at SingleMuslimMeet.com.

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The Importance of Nikahnama in Muslim Matrimony

Muslim Matrimony in India follows the Islamic rules and traditions. The Indian Muslims, 'Shia' and 'Sunni' groups have some common marriage ceremonies. Most of the Muslim weddings in India have ceremonies lasting for three days. The wedding involves dancing and singing, besides serious rituals. A traditional Muslim Wedding in India involves many pre and post wedding rituals.

The Muslim wedding customs in India before the wedding day include Mehendi ceremony or the Henna ceremony. This ceremony is organized at the bride's house on the eve of the wedding. In some cases, the bride's family organizes this ceremony two-three days prior to the wedding day. In this ceremony mostly the female family members attend. Relatives and friends apply a paste of turmeric on the bride's skin for a glowing complexion. A professional mehendi artist or a relative of the bride draws beautiful henna pattern on the hands and feet. This ceremony is a fun-filled one with women singing traditional songs and young girls dancing. After this ceremony, the bride is expected to not leave the house until the wedding day.

The Indian Muslim Matrimony includes a marriage procession by the groom's side, known as 'Baraat'. The Baraat that includes the groom and family members of the groom leaves for the bride's house on the evening of the wedding day. On the arrival of the groom at the wedding venue, the brother of the bride welcomes him with a glass of sherbet. The bride's sisters play pranks on the guests and hit them with flower-filled cudgels.

The Muslim wedding ceremony known as Nikah is officiated by Muslim priest called Maulvi or Qazi. The father of the bride and groom are important participants in the Nikaah and are known as 'Walis'. In traditional Muslim matrimony, the women and men sit separately divided by a curtain. The priest or the maulvi recites verses from the Islamic holy book 'Quran'. This is followed by the customary ceremony Ijab-e-Qubul, which is the proposal by the groom and acceptance by the bride. This mutual consent by the groom and bride is a very important part of the Muslim wedding. Another important aspect of the Nikaah is the marriage contract signing or the 'Nikahnama'. To make the marriage legal, signing the contract is must for the groom and the bride. It also requires the signature of the 'walis' in presence of the maulvi. The contract also mentions the amount of 'mehr' or dowry, which is from the groom's family to the bride. In the end of the 'Nikaah', the bride receives gifts like garments, money and gold jewelries. The newlywed gets blessings from guests and family members.

Post wedding ceremonies of the Muslim matrimony also have significant rituals. The Rukshat is the farewell ceremony of the bride. The bride's father gives the bride's hands to the groom and asks him to take care and protect her at all times. A tearful farewell by the bride's mother and relatives marks this ceremony. The bride is welcomed in her new family by the mother-in-law. The Holy book 'quran' is held above the head of the bride as she steps in the new house. On the fourth day after the wedding, the bride visits her parent's house. This ritual is called the Chauthi.

Food is an important part of any Muslim Matrimony. After the wedding, the bride's side organizes a grand feast for the groom's side and guests. Lavish spreads of traditional recipes are served. Vegetarian and non-vegetarian food is cooked and men and women dine separately. The groom's side also organizes a reception, known as Valimah. This is a joyous occasion where relatives, friends and bride's side attend the function.

Shipra Sinha writes on behalf of Jeevansathi.com, which is India's fastest growing Matrimonial website. Jeevansathi.com enables users to create and search corresponding matches for their respective profiles like Muslim Matrimony, Sunni Matrimonial wherein users can avail free registration and make initial contact with each other.

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