Marital Bliss

Allah swt says in Quran(30:21)
" Among His proofs is that He created for you spouses from among yourselves, in order to have tranquility and contentment with each other, and He placed in your hearts love and care towards your spouses. In this, there are sufficient proofs for people who think."

and at another place(24:32)
"[24:32] You shall encourage those of you who are single to get married. They may marry the righteous among your male and female servants, if they are poor. GOD will enrich them from His grace. GOD is Bounteous, Knower."

The above ayahs highlight the significance of marriage in Islam. Islam encourages early marriage so both parties can enjoy pleasures of life with purity and maintain continuity of human race in dignity. In order for a marriage to be successful, Islam has laid a set a rules and placed some rights of wives on husbands and vice versa.  

Wives' rights over Husband

Men are attracted towards females because of physical appearance while women are attracted towards men because of their emotional support. A husband must understand that his wife needs his emotional support. She is not like his other male friends nor a toy that he should play without care. Prophet(pbuh) has directed the momineen to be kind and patient toward their wives. They need love and care.

Prophet(pbuh) said " The believers who show the most perfect faith are those who have the best behavior and best of you are those who are best to their wives"

 [Reported by Abu Hurairah, At-Trimdhi]

Prphet(pbuh) said at another place " The world is but a (quick) enjoyment and best enjoyment of this world is a pious and virtuous woman." [Muslim]

The husband should try to understand the nature of his wife, should try talking to her and be patient with her if she commits a mistake. She may not be perfect but a husband must understand that both husband and wife were created to perfect each ot her. 

Prophet(pbuh) said "A woman is like a rib, if you attempt to straighten it, you will break it; and if you benefit from her, you will do so while crookedness remains in her" [Muslim]

At another place he(pbuh) said "A believer must not hate his wife;if he dislikes one of her characteristics he will be pleased with another" [Muslim]

Prophet(pbuh) has prohibited the believers from hitting their wives. The following Hadith summaries the husband's rights on his wife.

A companion asked Prophet(pbuh) "What right can any wife demand of her husband?" Prophet(pbuh) replied "You should give her food when you eat, clothe her when you clothe yourself, not strike her on face, nor revile her or separate her except in the house"[Abu Dawud]

Husbands' rights over wives

Prophet(pbuh) said "Any woman dies while her husband is pleased with her, she will enter jannah" [At-Trimdhi]

Obedience of husband and keeping him happy has been made compulsory for the wife. A wife is responsible for protecting the property of her husband, raise his children and guard her chastity as well.

Prophet(pbuh) said " When a woman spends the night away from the bed of her husband, the angels curse her till morning" [Muslim]

At another place he(pbuh) said "If I were to order anyone to prostrate himself before another, I would have ordered a woman to prostrate herself before her husband" [At-Trimdhi]

These Hadith show unique Importance of wife's obedience to her husband within her capacity. A wife should be as source of pleasure to her husband rather than show her stubbornness and temperament to him.

Prophet(pbuh) said " Whenever a woman harms her husband in this world(without any due right), his wife among the (Hoors in Jannah) say "You must not harm him. May Allah destroy you. He is only passing guest with you and is about to leave you to come to us" [At-Trimdhi]

As Islam commands the husbands to treat their wives with kindness, similarly wives are required to be obedient to their husbands. Women should not use any indecent language to hurt the feelings of their husbands.

I will end with following Quranic Ayahs

"Men are in charge of women by [right of] what Allah has given one over the other and what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth. So righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband's] absence what Allah would have them guard. "[4:34]

"They(wives) are garment for you(husbands) and you are garments for them" [2:187]

"You who believe, It is not lawful for you to inherit women against your will, nor should you treat your wives harshly...Live with them in accordance with what is fair and kind; if you dislike them, it may be well that you dislike something in which God has put too much good" [4:19]

Posted by Jahanzaib Jamshed

Hadith taken from Riyad us Saliheen

Why islamic finance part2( capitalist economy vs islamic economy)

            DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CAPITALIST AND ISLAMIC ECONOMY!

Islam does not deny the market forces and the market economy. Even the profit motive is acceptable to a reasonable extent. When one talks about private ownership then even that is not totally negated.

The basic difference is that in, secular capitalism , the profit motive or private ownership are given unbridled power to make economic decisions. Their liberty is not controlled by any divine injunction. Interest, gambling, speculative transactions tend to concentrate wealth in the hands of the few. Furthermore, unhealthy human instincts are exploited to make money through immoral and injurious products. Unbridled profit making creates monopolies which paralyses the market forces or, at least , hinder their natural operations.

Thus the capitalist economy which claims to be based on market forces, practically stops the natural process of supply and demand, because these forces can properly work only in an atmosphere of free competition, and not in monopolies. It is sometimes appreciated in a secular capitalist economy that a certain economic activity is not in the interest of the society, yet , it is allowed to be continued because it goes against the interest of some influential circles  who dominate the legislature on the strength of their majority. No divine guidance is recognized to control the economic activities.

What Islam does is that , after recognizing private ownership, profit motive and market forces , Islam has put certain divine restrictions on the economic activities. The prohibition of RIBA, gambling, hoarding, dealing in unlawful goods or services, short sales and speculative transactions are some examples of these divine restrictions.

All these prohibitions combined together have a cumulative effect of maintaining balance, distributive justice and equality of opportunities.

By: Ramsha Amir.

WHY ISLAMIC FINANCE? PART1 ( Divine Guidance)

The main source of this post and the posts that will come in other parts is a book titled " An introduction to Islamic Finance" by Muhammad Taqi Usmani.

                                     BELIEF IN DIVINE GUIDANCE.

Before understanding Islamic finance it is important to understand as to why Muslims should have Islamic finance whether it is profitable or not.

The basic belief around which all the Islamic concepts revolve is that the whole universe is created and controlled by One, the only One God.  Islam in some areas have subjected human activities to a set of principles which have eternal application and can not be violated in superficial grounds of expediency based on human assessment. Unlike other religions, Islam is not confined to some moral teachings, some rituals or some modes of worship. Islam, contains guidance in every sphere of life including socio-economic fields.

The Obedience from servants of Allah is required not only in worship, but also in their ECONOMIC activities, even though it is at the price of some apparent benefits, because these apparent benefits may go against the collective interest of the society.
by: Ramsha Amir