Collection of Articles on Family

Collection of Articles on Family
Allah has obligated certain exchangeable rights upon the husband and the wife. Everyone’s rightis an obligation to the other. The Messenger of Allāh (gscLo) said,“Indeed,You have rights over your women, and your women have rights over you.”However,man has been distinguished by Allāh with a degree over the women. Allāh says,“And they (women) have rights (over their husbands as regards living expenses, etc.)similar (to those of their husbands) over them (as regards obedience and respect,etc.) towhat is reasonable, but men have a degree (of responsibility) over them.”［SūrahAl-Baqarah 2:228]The rights of marriage life are three:shareable between the husband and the wife,rights of thewife over her husband,and the rights of the husband over his wife. However,there is a problemimposing itself here regarding determining the exact description of the wife’s service to herhusband: is it a right for the husband; the result of which would hold the wife responsible for anyfailure or inadequate observance of that right? Or is it optional for her to serve him because theonly thing she is obliged to do towards him is the sexual pleasure?This issue is debatable among Islamic jurists although it is needless of clarification that thenormal duties of the wife are to serve the husband,the children and to handle the affairs of herhouse.This is a natural duty required by the shareable life between the married couple,and oneof the major factors in maintaining the integrity and coherence of the family,in addition toraising a fine and disciplined generation.