Chapter 3

Living with your Husband

Thetaskofawifeistomaintainandtakecareofahusband.Itisnotan
easy undertaking. Those women, who are unaware of this feature of
theirrole,mayfinddifficultyinfulfillingthetask.Itisajobforthewo-
manwhoisawarethatthejobrequiresadegreeofsagacity,style,andin-
genuity.Forawomantobeasuccessfulwife,sheshouldwinoverher
husband'sheartandbeasourceofcomforttohim.Sheshouldencourage
himtodogooddeedswhiledissuadinghimfrombadones.Sheshould
also provide adequate measures to maintain his health and well-being.

Theresultsofhereffortsaredirectedtowardsmakingthemanintoa
kindand respected husband who would be a proper guardian forhis
family,andagoodfatherfromwhomthechildrenwouldseekguidance
and respect. Allah, the all-knowing has endowed woman with ex-
traordinarypower. Theprosperityandhappinessaswellasthemisery
of the family are in her hands.

Awomancan turnthe homeinto aloftyparadise ora burninghell.
Shecanleadherhusbandtothepeakofsuccessorthedregsofmisfor-
tune. Thewoman with thequalities bestowedon herbyAllah. whois
aware of her roleas a spouse,can elevate her husbandto a respected
man even if he had been the lowest of all men. One learned scholar
wrote:'Womenpossessastrangepowerinthattheyareabletoacquire
whatever they desire'

InIslam,takingcareofone'shusbandhasanimportantposition.Ithas
beenequatedtotheroleofJihad(holywarinthepathofAllah)."Imam
'An(AS) stated:'The Jihad of awoman isto take care ofher husband
well'."11ConsideringthatJihadisthestruggleandholywarinthepath
of Allah includingthe struggle foradvancement and honourof Islam,
defendingtheIslamicterritoriesandexecutionofsocialjustice,itisone