A HANDBOOK OF HEALTHY MUSLIM MARRIAGE

This first-rate handbook is the fruit of many years of pastoral experience and services of an Imam to various Muslim communities. In essence, it is a heartfelt and sincere appeal for parents and youngsters to change their mind- sets about the sacred institution of marriage.

An honest appraisal about the state of Muslims and marriage leads to a convincing case being made for a book of this kind. Mufti Abdul Rahman maintains that there is much ignorance surrounding various ethical, practical, religious, social and spiritual issues related to marriage which are necessary to address. He argues that a large part of the conception of marriage among the youth is garnered from movies, soaps, celebrities and social media. Therefore, learning the religious laws and technicalities of marriage and divorce and the Prophetic model of a healthy marital relationship is extremely important. The book is based on lectures, seminars and talks delivered by the author. It is divided into ten chapters with a conclusion and bibliography. The guide is accessible and avoids too much detail, legalese and technicalities. To this end, the book is admirably successful.

The first chapter discusses the purpose of marriage, love and kind treatment as ostensibly gleaned from the Qur’an and Prophetic traditions. An interesting examination of the declining state of marriage in contemporary times, with reference to Western societies, is undertaken to explain why the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) highlighted the importance of marriage. Moreover, for the author, love between the spouses goes beyond sexual pleasure, as tranquillity is the principal function of marriage.