(A righteous wife is the best enjoyment of this world - The qualities of a righteous wife - The wife’s responsibility before Allah).
The First Sermon
All praise is due to Allah, who established His religion and placed no crookedness in it, and made His Sharīʿah easy, placing in it neither restriction nor hardship. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, without partner, and I bear witness that Muḥammad is His servant and Messenger. May Allah send abundant peace and blessings upon him.
To proceed:
Fear Allah, servants of Allah, as He truly deserves to be feared, and remain mindful of Him in private and in secret.
يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ
“O you who believe, fear Allah as He should truly be feared, and do not die except as Muslims.” [Sūrat Āl ʿImrān: 102].
Servant of Allah:
Shall I direct you to one of the greatest treasures of this world, if not the greatest of them? ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, may Allah be pleased with him, asked the Prophet ﷺ: “O Messenger of Allah, what kind of wealth should we acquire?”
He replied: “Let one of you acquire a grateful heart, a tongue that remembers Allah, and a believing wife who helps him in matters of the Hereafter.” [Narrated by Ibn Mājah].
These three—a grateful heart, a tongue that remembers Allah, and a believing wife—are among the best things a believer can possess in this world.
Let us speak about the righteous believing wife, who is among the greatest causes of happiness and the best enjoyment of this world, as our Prophet ﷺ informed us when he said:“The world is an enjoyment, and the best enjoyment of this world is a righteous woman.” [Narrated by Muslim].
He ﷺ also said: “Four things are from happiness,” and he mentioned first among them: “A righteous woman.” [Narrated by Ibn Ḥibbān].
If the righteous wife is the best enjoyment of this world, then what are her qualities?
Some people set standards for happiness that are far removed from the measure of truthful revelation, and they reap nothing but ruin and loss. Allah has made His Book a guide to that which is most upright. He says:
إِنَّ هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ يَهْدِي لِلَّتِي هِيَ أَقْوَمُ
“Indeed, this Qurʾān guides to that which is most upright.”
[Sūrat al-Isrāʾ: 9].
Everything to which Allah guides us is the most upright and the most just. The first quality of a righteous wife is that she is devoutly obedient to Allah, obedient to her Lord, submitting to His judgment and His Sharīʿah, and possessing religion and piety. Allah, Exalted, says:
فَالصَّالِحَاتُ قَانِتَاتٌ حَافِظَاتٌ لِلْغَيْبِ بِمَا حَفِظَ اللَّهُ
“So righteous women are devoutly obedient and guard in their husbands’ absence what Allah would have them guard.”
[Sūrat al-Nisāʾ: 34].
The Prophet ﷺ said: “A woman is married for four things: her wealth, her lineage, her beauty, and her religion. So choose the woman of religion; may your hands be covered with dust.” [Narrated by al-Bukhārī and Muslim].
Her religion leads her to safeguard what Allah has entrusted to her.
You see her fearing Allah in the unseen. She is chaste and virtuous. She does not allow her gaze to roam freely, does not display her beauty, and does not soften her speech in a manner that causes every person with sickness in his heart to desire her.
Her husband goes out to earn his livelihood reassured that he has left behind a pious woman who protects him, safeguards his honor, and preserves his wealth. For this reason, Allah described them as:
حَافِظَاتٌ لِلْغَيْبِ بِمَا حَفِظَ اللَّهُ
“Guarding in their husbands’ absence what Allah would have them guard.” [Sūrat al-Nisāʾ: 34].
The Prophet ﷺ said: “The best of women is one who makes you happy when you look at her, obeys you when you instruct her, and safeguards you in your absence regarding herself and your wealth.” [Narrated by al-Ṭabarānī].
The Prophet ﷺ also said: “There are three about whom you should not ask,” meaning that they are ruined, and he mentioned among them: “A woman whose husband is absent from her after having provided her with what she needs of this world, yet she displays herself after he leaves.” [Narrated by Aḥmad].
Her religion is what leads her to good character and noble qualities. She says only what is good and does only what is good.
What happiness can be hoped for from a wife who is sharp-tongued and has ugly characteristics?
May Allah be pleased with ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, who said: “No servant gains anything better after faith in Allah than a woman of good character, loving and fertile. And no servant gains anything worse after disbelief in Allah than a woman of bad character and a sharp tongue.” [Narrated by Ibn Abī Shaybah].
Among the qualities of a righteous wife is that she obeys her husband in what is right. She does not oppose him in his home or regarding his children in matters he dislikes, for Allah has made him responsible for her and the head of the household.
The Prophet ﷺ gave glad tidings to such a righteous woman when he said: “If a woman performs her five prayers, fasts her month, guards her chastity, and obeys her husband, it will be said to her: ‘Enter Paradise through whichever gate of Paradise you wish.’” [Narrated by Aḥmad].
The Prophet ﷺ also warned the woman who disobeys her husband in what is right, saying: “There are two whose prayers do not rise above their heads,” and he mentioned among them: “A woman who disobeys her husband until she returns to obedience.” [Narrated by al-Ḥākim].
It is well known that obedience here is not permitted in anything Allah has prohibited, for the Prophet ﷺ said: “Obedience is only in what is right.” [Narrated by al-Bukhārī and Muslim].
Islam has made marriage like an institution that must have a responsible head. Since men as a sex are more complete in reason and more sound in judgment, Allah made the husband a shepherd who is responsible and obeyed in his home in what is right.
Through this, life remains orderly, far removed from the deviations of feminism that contradict sound human nature.
Among the qualities of a righteous wife is that when her husband sees her, he is pleased.
For this reason, Islam legislated looking at a prospective wife during the proposal stage.
The Prophet ﷺ advised a man who wished to marry, saying: “Look at her, for that is more likely to create harmony between you.” [Narrated by al-Tirmidhī].
If this applies during the proposal stage, then it also applies after marriage.
For this reason, the Prophet ﷺ included among the causes of happiness that a man sees his wife and is pleased by her. He said: “Three things are from happiness, and three things are from misery. Among the things of happiness is a woman whom, when you see her, she pleases you, and when you are absent from her, you feel secure regarding her and your wealth.”
He then said: “And among the things of misery is a woman whom, when you see her, she displeases you, who uses her tongue against you, and when you are absent from her, you do not feel secure regarding her or your wealth.” [Narrated by al-Ḥākim].
A woman adorning herself for her husband, meeting him with a cheerful face, and smiling at him strengthens affection and chastity for both of them. This is among the objectives of marriage that Allah has legislated.
Yes, it is that affection which Allah, out of His mercy and grace, placed in the hearts of the spouses. He says:
وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ خَلَقَ لَكُمْ مِنْ أَنْفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا لِتَسْكُنُوا إِلَيْهَا وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَكُمْ مَوَدَّةً وَرَحْمَةً
“And among His signs is that He created for you spouses from among yourselves so that you may find tranquility in them, and He placed between you affection and mercy.” [Sūrat al-Rūm: 21].
Glad tidings, then, to the righteous woman who shows affection to her husband by every means.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ advised marrying such a woman, saying: “Marry women who are loving and fertile, for I will take pride in your great numbers before the other nations.” [Narrated by Abū Dāwūd].
The righteous, loving woman is one who repeatedly returns to reconciliation with her husband.
She does not abandon her husband, claiming that she is thereby disciplining or correcting him. By Allah, such things are among the incitements of the devils.
A man is not set right through the humiliation of being broken down or being made to beg for an apology.
For this reason, the Prophet ﷺ described a righteous wife by saying: “Your women from among the people of Paradise are those who are loving, fertile, and repeatedly return to their husbands; the one who, when her husband becomes angry, comes and places her hand in his hand and says: ‘I will not taste sleep until you are pleased.’” [Narrated by Tammām].
This is how the righteous woman extends her hand and offers kindness, humiliating the accursed Satan.
May Allah be pleased with Suʿdā bint ʿAwf, the wife of Ṭalḥah ibn ʿUbayd Allāh, may Allah be pleased with him.
One day he entered upon her and she noticed a change in him. She immediately said: “What is wrong with you? Has something from us upset you so that we may make amends to you?”
He replied: “No. What an excellent wife of a Muslim man you are.” [Narrated by al-Ṭabarānī].
The righteous woman is supportive and accommodating.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “The best of your women are the loving, fertile, accommodating, and supportive women, if they fear Allah.” [Narrated by al-Bayhaqī].
Accommodating means that she agrees with her husband and does not constantly oppose him. She is easy-going and gentle. She knows when to speak and how to express her opinion, without fruitless argument, quarrelsomeness, or stubbornness.
Supportive means that she comforts her husband in his hardship and sadness. She lightens the burdens of life for him with a good word and beautiful assistance. She appreciates his efforts and sacrifices, strengthens and supports him, and fills her speech with glad tidings and hope.
May Allah be pleased with the Mother of the Believers Khadījah, concerning whom the Prophet ﷺ said in praise:
“She believed in me when people disbelieved in me, believed me when people accused me of lying, and supported me with her wealth when people deprived me.” [Narrated by Aḥmad].
The righteous woman is grateful to her husband. She recognizes his kindness and acknowledges his rights, and she does not deny his favor.
How could it be otherwise when the Prophet ﷺ said: “It is not appropriate for one human being to prostrate to another human being. If it were appropriate for one human being to prostrate to another, I would have commanded the woman to prostrate to her husband because of the greatness of his right over her.” [Narrated by Aḥmad].
The devils among mankind and jinn have continually tried to make the wife belittle what her husband provides for her.
They whisper to her: Become independent of him. Be strong through yourself, not through your husband or your home.
They continue with her until she can barely see any value or role for her husband at all.
A household in such a state stands upon the edge of a crumbling cliff.
O women of the Muslims, which of you wishes to be deprived of Allah’s merciful gaze on the Day of Resurrection, when the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Allah will not look at a woman who is ungrateful to her husband while she cannot do without him.” [Narrated by al-Nasāʾī in al-Sunan al-Kubrā].
Beware of ingratitude toward one’s husband, for it is a path to the Fire.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “I was shown the Fire, and most of its inhabitants were women because of their ingratitude.”
It was asked: “Do they disbelieve in Allah?”
He replied: “They are ungrateful to their husbands and ungrateful for kindness. If you were to treat one of them well for an entire lifetime, and then she saw something from you that she disliked, she would say: ‘I have never seen any good from you.’” [Narrated by al-Bukhārī and Muslim].
May Allah bless me and you through the Magnificent Qurʾān and benefit me and you through its verses and wise reminder.
I seek Allah’s forgiveness for myself and for you, so seek His forgiveness. Indeed, He is the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
The Second Sermon
All praise is due to Allah. May peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, his Companions, and all those who follow him.
To proceed:
The righteous wife takes responsibility for raising her children with sincere advice, trustworthiness, and responsibility. She combines mercy with wisdom, gathers together the affairs of her husband, and keeps his home and children in good order.
The Prophet ﷺ praised the women of Quraysh, saying:
“The best women who ever rode camels are the righteous women of Quraysh. They are the most compassionate toward a child in his youth and the most careful regarding a husband’s wealth.” [Narrated by al-Bukhārī and Muslim].
The followers of the West have sought to belittle the role of motherhood, a woman’s obedience to her husband, and her fulfillment of the responsibilities of her home and children, in order to corrupt Muslim households, because they know that the righteous woman is the pillar of the home and the foundation of its righteousness.
Know, O righteous woman, that marriage is a responsibility.
For this reason, the Prophet ﷺ said: “A woman is a shepherd over the home of her husband and his children, and she is responsible for them.” [Narrated by al-Bukhārī and Muslim].
O Allah, rectify the men of the Muslims and the women of the Muslims, our homes, and our offspring, O Lord of the worlds.
O Allah, help us and do not help against us. Support us and do not support others against us. Plan in our favor and do not plan against us. Grant us victory over those who transgress against us.
O Allah, grant us security in our homelands, rectify our leaders and those entrusted with our affairs, and place authority over us in the hands of those who fear You, are mindful of You, and follow what pleases You.
O Allah, support our oppressed brothers in Gaza and everywhere else, and decree for them victory and relief soon.
Servants of Allah: Remember Allah abundantly and glorify Him morning and evening. And the conclusion of our supplication is: all praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all worlds.
