A Man of Principle

- Only if the Muslim husband is good and follows Islam will the family be able to lead a happy married life -

Quran the holy religious book of the Muslims has clearly laid down the principles and the qualities of an ideal Muslim husband. The Quran is the obvious place to look for the standards of the behavior of an ideal husband. Islam as in the west does not permit the practice of having girl friends and premarital sex. It has clearly laid down that men who are capable of supporting their wife should marry so as to protect their chastity. Men those who regard themselves as unfit for marriage are required to practice fasting. It is the Muslim family that plays a major role in choosing the right partner for both men and women. The Prophet (SAW) guides the Muslim husband to opt for a religious Muslim woman so as to have a happy and a binding moral Islamic marriage. It is therefore the ideal Muslim men who opt for a responsible attitude of the women to build a strong and everlasting marriage and Islamic relationship.

The first and foremost duty of a Muslim husband is to provide food, clothing and shelter to his wife and to his off springs as a result of the marriage. It is therefore understood that women have no financial duty towards supporting the family and it is the main duty of the men to provide financial security to the family. The Muslim husband is also required to give his wife company and not do anything that would harm his wife. The Muslim religious law permit's a wife to divorce her husband in case if she proves that her husband is harming her by beating her unlawfully or if he is addicted to alcohol. The Islamic religion requires a Muslim man to provide financial assistance to his wife even after divorce and does not permit to interfere in the way she would choose her life after divorce.

Further the Islamic law or the Islamic Shariah also requires the Muslim husband to educate his wife if she is not aware of the Muslim customs. He is not required to suppress her but protect and support her. An ideal husband is required to consult his wife on important family matters and follow it if he finds it to be reasonable and good. The Quran has authorized the Islamic husband to beat his wife lightly in case if she does not follow the Islamic norms and if she fails to obey her husband in spite of her being enlightened by him.

Finally an ideal Islamic husband is one who treats his wife with dignity. A husband is required to treat his wife in the best possible way with a smiling face and with lots of tolerance and an easy going nature. An ideal Muslim man would make his wife to adopt Islamic principles, would respect her and her family would support her and will stand by her at the time of a crisis. The most important duty of an Islamic personal is to keep a balance between his wife and his mother. It is with the good attitude and gentle nature that a Muslim husband would win over his wife so as to make a successful Islamic family.

Only if the Muslim husband is good and follows Islam will the family be able to lead a happy married life.

The Sunnah of wearing Kohl

Chapter on the kohl of Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam
Shamaa-il Tirmidhi Contents

To apply (surmah, antimony, collyrium) in the eyes is mustabab. One should use kuhl with the intention of ajr (thawaab, reward). It benefits the eye and one receives ajr for following the sunnah also. Imaam Tirmidhi mentions five ahaadith in this chapter.
(48) Hadith Number 1

Ibn 'Abbaas Radiyallahu 'Anhu says:"Rasulullah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam said: 'Use kuhl made of ithmid on the eye; it brightens the eyesight, and strengthens and increases the growth of the eye lashes'. (Sayyidina Ibn'Abbaas Radiyallahu'Anhu also used to say) 'Rasulullah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam had a small container for keeping kohl, from which he applied kohl in each eye three times every night"'.

Commentary

Ithmid is a special type of kohl which is reddish black in colour. It is obtained in the Eastern countries. Some of the learned say it is the Isfahaani kuhl, and other say it is the Totiya. Some 'ulama say, it means those who have good eyesight and it should be used by those with whose eyesight it agrees, otherwise a sick person's eyes will pain more by its use. It is more beneficial to apply kohl at the time of sleeping as it will remain longer in the eyes, and will penetrate more into the pores. There are different narrations on the number of times it should be applied in each eye. In a few it is stated that it should be applied three times in each eye, as mentioned above.
In other narrations it is stated that it should be put three times in the right eye and two times in the left eye. It is supposed that the variations are because of the different times of the narrations. At a certain time, Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi Wasallam applied it in one manner and at another time in the other manner. Haafiz Ibn Hajar, Mulla 'Ali Qaari and other 'ulama have preferred the first method (as given in the hadith under discussion). the first method has been narrated many times from Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu' Alayhi Wasallam, as will be seen in the narration that follow.

(49) Hadith Number 2

Ibn 'Abbaas Radiyallahu 'Anhu reports: "Rasulullah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam applied kuhl of ithmid three times in each eye before sleeping'. In a narration also from Ibn 'Abbaas Radiyallahu 'Anhu, it is reported: "Rasuluilah Sallallahu'Alayhi Wasallam had a small container for keeping kuhl, from which he applied in each eye kuhl three times before sleeping'.

(50) Hadith Number 3

Jaabir bin 'Abdullah Radiyallahu 'Anhu says: "Rasulullah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam said: 'Use the kuhl made from ithmid for the eyes. It brightens the vision and strengthens the growth of the eye lashes'.

(51) Hadith Number 4

Ibn 'Abbaas Radiyallahu 'Anhu says: "Rasulullah Sallallah 'Alayhi Wasallam has said: 'The best from among all the kuhl used by you is the one made from ithmid. It brightens the eyesight and strengthens the growth of the eye lashes"'.

Commentary

One of the narrators in the chain of this hadith is Bishr bin Mufaddal RA. The 'ulama wrote that he performed four hundred rak'ahs nafl daily, and it was his permanent practice to fast every alternate day.

(52) Hadith Number 5

'Abdullah bin 'Umar Radiyallahu 'Anhu related the same hadith from Rasulullah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallarn that: "Verily use the kuhl made from ithmid. It brightens the vision and strengthens the growth of the eye lashes".

Commentary

In all the above narrations the use of kuhl made from ithmid has be stressed. Only those eyes are meant, that agree with the use of it, otherwise, because of certain eye conditions kuhl does not agree with some people, as was mentioned previously. The 'ulama have written that due to these commands and practices it is sunnah to use kuhl, and it is better to use the one made from ithmid. If one uses kuhl made from any other substance it will be regarded as sunnah, but the virtue is obtained by using kuhl made of ithmid.