In the Name of Allāh.
O men who lack protective jealousy for their wives! Heed the clarion call of Islām, which proclaims the sanctity and dignity of women. You betray their trust, and you abandon your sacred duty, allowing your wives to be exposed to the evil of non-Maḥram men. Your homes, once a place of chastity and honour, have become dens of sin and perversion.
More ignorantly, in the name of culture or Westernization, you allow your male relatives or even friends to have seclusion with your wives, and at times, your wives dare not complain. This shameless, unrestricted access, which includes hugging them, etc., is one of the things you allow.
O you who have strayed from the path of righteousness! Beware, for your negligence is a dagger to the heart of your marriage, a poison that corrupts the very essence of your union. Do not forget that the danger of the Ḥamw (the in-laws, such as your brothers) can bring death to the sanctity of your marriage. Be not blinded to this truth, nor let ignorance deafen you to the cries of your wives, whose hearts are filled with fear and anguish at the indignities you allow to be inflicted upon them. Is this the way of Islām? Nay, I say to you, it is not.
Islām dignifies women and identifies their Maḥārim (plural of Maḥram). As such, your friends or male relatives aren’t included except your father. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Beware of entering upon the ladies.” A man from the Anṣār said, “O Messenger of Allāh, what about the Ḥamw?” The Prophet ﷺ replied, “The Ḥamw is death.” [Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5232, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2172]
‘Allāmah Ibn Baṭṭāl al-Mālikī (Raḥimahullāh) explained that the meaning of this Ḥadīth is that a person should not enter upon non-Maḥram women and spend time with them alone. Thus, it’s unlawful for a man to allow his brother to stay in the same apartment with his wife.
Stand firm, O men, against the insidious influence of Westernization and the siren call of cultural practices that would lead you astray. Stand firm against the base impulses of your desires, which would see you reduce your wives to mere objects of pleasure and gratification. For they are your partners, your companions, your beloveds, who deserve respect and honour due to all women in Islām.
Let this be your guide, your moral compass, as you strive to become the husbands that your wives deserve, the men that Allāh commands you to be. Truly, a man who honours his wife, who respects her dignity, who protects her chastity, he is a man who has found the path to righteousness, to peace, to salvation.
I beseech Allāh to rectify our affairs. Aameen
Picture Credit: Freepik