Katrina Posted December 10, 2005 Salaam Folks, I get updates from "Islamic City" site and here's an article I just finished reading...thought I'd share it. The path of marriage 12/9/2005 - Education Social Religious - Article Ref: IC0510-2811 Number of comments: 4 By: E Mansor, F Eunos & O Sidek IslamiCity* - "Your goal in the end is towards Allah: He will tell you the truth of the things wherein ye disputed. It is He who hath made you (His) agents, inheritors of the earth: He hath raised you in ranks, some above others: that He may try you in the gifts He hath given you:..."(An'am, 6:164-165) Life is a journey but there is no journey quite like Life. It begins from Allah and ends at Allah and the events that unfold in the journey are also premeditated by Allah . It is a journey specifically designed for mankind and, like most journeys, the experience therein is meant to enrich the traveler. Life on Allah's Earth is His scheme for Man's development. As Man journeys through, opportunities for his growth may come in the form of trials and challenges or as favors and gifts. Though we are given freedom to choose which path to travel on, we have also been shown the path called " Islam " which promises success in the Hereafter. It is a path that calls mankind to strive for comprehensive harmony with his Creator, society and Nature as a "way of life" in his pursuit to fulfill his potential as the best creation of Allah (Quran 95:4-6). As Man is mind, body and soul, Islam prescribes the attainment of correct thought, action and motivations as equally important prerequisites for well-balanced growth of the human personality towards its perfection. Thus iman (conviction), amal (action) and ihsan (God-serving conduct) are inter-linked in a comprehensive definition of the Islamic way of life, as found in the discourse between the Prophet Muhammad and the angel Jibrail 1 Marriage is not an incidental aspect of this way of life. Instead, it is part and parcel of it, as it figures significantly in each of the three aspects of iman, amal and ihsan. As a matter of faith (iman), Muslims regard it as a form of gift from Allah . As such, we enter into marriage with a great sense of responsibility and reverence. And being from Him, we are always careful not to abuse it for selfish gains. Instead, our marriage and family should be a major source of strength and support in our service to Allah . and society. For this purpose, in the practice (amal) of Islam, an aspect of Islamic law (Shariah) is devoted towards marriage and family. And through law, Islam proactively guides the conduct of partners in marriage to ensure that they transform their families into a cohesive unit of contributors to society. In principle, Islamic family law (munakahat) aims at ensuring harmony within the family and the community at large, in good times as well as in instances of divorce, as illustrated in Section III. When harmony prevails in the community and order is maintained in a family unit - broken or otherwise - the family unit functions in its best form possible and will thus, be able to maximize its potential in cultivating true servants of Allah and of society at large. Ultimately, the aim of Islam is to cultivate human character and, at the social level, human culture with the disposition of peace and harmony, out of love for Allah , mankind and the world. However, Islamic character and culture are more than just a matter of faith (iman) and action (amal), as they involve our entire being - in other words, every moment of our existence should be a conscientious service toward Allah And this is what the Prophet . defined as "best character" or ihsan. The attainment of ihsan however, requires a lifetime of attention and nurturing by the more enlightened ones who understand human nature and the necessary process for cultivating good characters. For a child, the family atmosphere of love, affection and joy is their best chance for getting the attention and nurture from more enlightened parents and other significant adults. Thus, marriage and family are part and parcel of Muslim life, as they figure significantly in the development of our iman, amal and ihsan. In a manner of speaking, if life is a journey and Islam is the path to a successful destiny, marriage is a vehicle well-suited for the journey towards peace and tranquility in this life, and success in the other. When we achieve peace within ourselves and with our spouse, we can then contribute to the development of the community by undertaking the task of spreading the peace of Islam to others. This could be in the form of being involved in community services or by helping others who are in need. At the very least, we will represent the image of Islam and our good and kind conduct to others, serving to publicize the teachings of our faith. Thus, at another level, we strive to extend tranquility beyond ourselves toward others. Across this entire process, what will be uppermost is the attainment of Ultimate Peace with our Creator. "And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts): verily in that are Signs for those who reflect." Rum, 30:21) Source: "Tranquil Hearts" by Enon Mansor, Fatimah Eunos & Osman Sidek Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RendezVous Posted December 12, 2005 ^^Surely one of the most interesting articles at SOL.Thanks for sharing with us.. However, all indications written for 'MAN' in ISLAM in some cases also refers to man and Woman as in Mankind.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
muunad Posted December 13, 2005 thanx for the post. i think alot of us think about repenting later rather than now. and the idea of the mates for tranquillity has turned into an inescapable sin. my criteria for marraige is someone who has better knowledge about islam than me, and doesn't practice haaram(work..etc..). other than that it's up for grabs and decided by the heart Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
