Hamza Nisar, Auditor

The reason I have chosen this topic is because I believe that in this day and age, Nikah and the importance of family is often overlooked. The Islamic marriage contract is called ‘Nikah’.

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad^aba, the Worldwide Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat explains the wisdom of the Islamic Nikah and says:

“The wisdom of the announcement of the Islamic Nikah or the bond of marriage is that according to the commandment of Allah the Exalted, man and woman who are forming the union of husband and wife pledge at the time of Nikah that they will try to abide by the Divine commandments read before them and will try to abide by the Quranic verses recited before them at the time of Nikah so that they may adapt their lives accordingly.

The foremost advice [at the announcement of Nikah] is to adopt righteousness [Taqwa]. Therefore when one is giving the consent for one’s Nikah, one is agreeing to abide by the Divine commandments that are recited at the time. If you truly have love and fear of God, of the Beloved God Who has taken care of all your needs from your birth, in fact even prior to your birth, then you will always do what pleases Him and as a result will be a recipient of His blessings.

When husband and wife form a union by virtue of a pledge and promise to care for each other it becomes their obligations that in order to further improve their bond, they also care for one another’s relatives.” (Domestic issues and their solutions, p. 14)

As you can see that even in a marriage, the most important thing is Taqwa–Righteousness. The Holy Quran has repeatedly emphasised on the importance of righteousness in a marriage. During the Nikah ceremony, a moment of happiness not just for the couple, but for the families that are coming together to form this pious bond, many forget their responsibilities. Parents sometimes forget the importance of their interaction with the newly married couple. Sometimes families have unfair demands, whether it’s the family of the groom or the bride, and forget the sole reason for why this bond is taking place.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace be on him, stated: “a woman’s hand in marriage is asked for four reasons: her wealth, her family status, her beauty and her piety; but you should marry the woman with piety.” This saying highlights the importance of choosing a pious and religious partner. Although many people look for wealth and beauty; the one thing that matters most is piety and faithfulness.

A few months ago, a few members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association and I met with a member of His Holiness’s security team, the Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. The advice he gave us was to always focus on righteousness, to always look for faults within yourself and to try to improve yourself and become a better Ahmadi Muslim and a better citizen. He further said that always look for piety in a partner rather than all the worldly attributes. He said that the youth of this day and age have many challenges and distractions around them, but the Jamaat works as a shield to protect the youth from all these distractions. Therefore, always try to improve yourself and always look for piety whether it’s in your partner or your friends and that will add blessings to both your worldly and spiritual affairs.

I am certain that if we pray regularly, be truthful and maintain the highest level of Taqwa-Righteousness, we will not just achieve Allah’s pleasure and blessings, but everlasting peace and satisfaction in this life and the next. May Allah enable us to always tread on the path of righteousness and piety. Ameen. Read this article in MALTESE