I was having an intensive course in "Teaching methods and language improvement" in England. There I came to meet many people from different countries and of various religions. WE used to chat and hold debates on the similarities and differences among religions and cultures. We mainly focused on marriage conventions and both the rights and roles of men and women in society. Actually, at the beginning they accused Islam of treating women unfairly. They said that women in Islam are considered to be inferior to men. They also alleged that women are wronged and enslaved by their husbands.

In fact these people drew this unfounded conclusion about Islam due to the poor knowledge they had about it. this in turn let them to persist in misunderstanding Islam. However, if they had penetrated deeply into this great religion, they, themselves, would have absolved it from those complete faulty and lying accusations and would have realized that Islam is infallible.

As a Muslim caring for his religion, I am presenting this article to all those who may mis-comprehend the reality of this true religion, I will mainly focus on how Islam plans and views the relationship between a Muslim husband and a wife and how to make strong bonds between them.

The fact we all have to understand is that Islam is an entire way of life which offers guidance for us in all matters. Allah who is the all-knowing and the all-wise has taken account of everything concerns mankind. The solutions to all of our problems have been included in Islam and nothing has been overlooked. The marriage life as a vital aspect in our life has been carefully assigned great importance.

To make marriage a success and prosperity, both partners must take it seriously. They have to come together to tackle any problems. They also assist one another and sacrifices in order to get returned pleasure and peace. To reach this Allah has designated specific roles for both a husband and a wife which harmonize with each one's natural abilities. Of course the corporal, spiritual and mental formation of both men and women has been given a considerable importance. Only when these roles and rights are observed and their obligations are fulfilled, can security surround them in their success. Islam confirms that if husbands or wives do not honor and fulfill their duties, the household surely becomes a living hell.

In Islam both partners should enjoy some characteristic that help them to make their life more fruitful. They should firstly possess fear of Allah and piety of the heart that lead to forming a strong foundation for manners, morals and good deeds. This fear must impact upon their relationship and reciprocal dealing.

Among the most important responsibilities of Muslim husbands and wives towards each other is to help obeying the commands of Allah. If one of them exceeds the limits of Allah, the other should advise and prevent him/her from doing so. Also if one of them is more knowledgeable about Islam, it becomes his/her duty to teach the other partner what he/she knows. Since husbands and wives spend a lot of time together, they get to know each other's strengths and weaknesses well. For this reason both can be the best advisor for each other in even hard situations.

Islam always encourages making a strong bond and true cooperation between a wife and a husband. At home for instance, most of the time women care for the house and children. However, this does not mean that it should be her responsibility alone. A man has to appreciate and realize the amount of effort that goes into keeping the house clean, children cared for and the meals prepared. In other words, what a wife does at home must not be treated with contempt. Finally, each Muslim husband should remember that our prophet, Mohammed, peace be upon him who represents the most excellent example of conduct used to actively participate in the house work. It was never a problem for him though he was the ruler of Madinah commanding general of the military and Allah's chosen messenger. Muslim wives, on the other side, must remember the unexampled lives of our prophet's wives who represent the best examples of conduct towards husbands.

By: Abdullah Saleh Hussein Alhashedi