SANCTITY OF MARRIAGE IN ISLAM

contribution to society. When a man and woman prove to be a good husband and wife, they will certainly prove to be good citizens in the broad spectrum of their social group. This has been aptly expressed in a Hadith: “The best of you is one who is best for his family.” The family being the preliminary unit for the training of human beings, its disintegration has an injurious effect on society. Human beings must individually make a positive contribution, if collectively they are to form a good and just nation. If the family no longer exists, it is the whole of humanity which suffers. Once a man and a woman are bound together in the bonds of matrimony, they are expected to do their utmost, till the day they die to honour and uphold what the Quran calls their firm contract, or pledge. To this end, the full thrust of the Islamic law is levelled at preventing the occurrence of divorce; the laws it lays down in this regard exist primarily, therefore, as checks, not incentives. Islam regards marriage as an extremely desirable institution, hence its conception of marriage is the rule in life. Divorce is only an exception to that rule. The Prophet Muhammad said, "Marriage is my tradition; Then whosoever does not favor my tradition is not with me." (Ibn e Majah) After having presented the Islamic view about marriage, it would be pertinent to discuss the injunctions of Islam regarding the threats to a stable married life. Islam gives guidelines which prevent all such evils. ‘Prevention is better than cure’, is an old maxim that we all know. Let us now understand the principles which should govern one’s married life as derived from the Quran and the life of the Prophet. We are living in a world created by God Almighty. He has made this world and sustains it according to a definite plan. This is known as the creation plan of God. Any deviation from this by humankind will result in disorder in the smooth functioning of life on earth. The principles from the Quran and the teachings of the Prophet lay a foundation for a pure society. A society where there is sanctity about all relationships, interactions and dealings. Fear of accountability to God makes a person view every interaction as an interaction which is In Islam, marriage is both a social contract entered into by mutual consent of the bride and groom, and a sacred bond to which great religious and social importance is attached.