!['"They are clothing for you and you are clothing for them."
Surah Al-Baqara 2:187
ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) chose to use the word "clothing" rather than any other word to describe the special relationship between a man and his wife. ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) made the man clothing for the woman and the woman clothing for the man. The word "clothing" as used in this context is rich with meaning. It would be quite difficult to express in words every subtlety that it conveys. We shall try, however, to consider a few of the ideas that this word expresses.
1. The word "clothing" in its most literal sense is what immediately covers the body with no barrier in between.
2. The word clothing connotes the idea of equality, complementarity and support of both a psychological and physical nature. The man has his role and the woman has hers. The woman cannot be construed as merely a vehicle to fulfill the man's desires. She is a human being, equal to the man. Each of them is as clothing to the other in every aspect of life.
3. Clothing implies adornment and beautification. ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) says:
"Take your adornment to every Mosque."
[Surah al-A'raf 7:31]
A man and a woman are an adornment and beautification for each other.
Ibn Abbas said : "Indeed, I like to dress up for a woman in the same way as I like it for a woman to dress herself up for me. This is because ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) says :
"And they have upon you similar rights to those you have upon them in good dealings." And I do not like to exact from her every right to which I am entitled, since ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) says:
"And for the man there is a degree over them."
[Tafsir al-Tabari (1/625)]
Some of this beauty is also of an intangible nature. Faithfulness and Enduring friendship are a part of faith, as the Prophet ( SalAllahu Alayhi WaSalam ) said :
A woman adorns herself with her husband when she speaks about him to her friends. She can tend to embellish her account, claiming that he loves her so much, and gives her so much... even when the truth is far short of all that.
4. Clothing conveys the meaning of covering and concealment. ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) says:
"O children of Adam! We have bestowed upon you clothing to conceal your shame and as an adornment. "
[Surah al-Araf 7 : 26]
A husband and wife screen each other from falling into sin by fulfilling one another's needs in a lawful manner.
Likewise, they conceal from others their intimacy. They do not disclose to others the details of their physical relationship nor the secrets that they share between them nor the little problems that they have with each other. They do not allow the personal life that they share together become the topic of public discourse.
5. Clothing implies cleanliness and purity. This is why ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) commands us saying:
"And your clothing, purify it. "
[ Surah al-Mudaththir 74:4]
This dispels the notion that some people have that the marital relationship is somehow a "dirty" thing. There are those who disdain even talking to any length about marriage and what it entails in Islam, because of the bad feelings they have about the topic.
ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) made the institution of marriage the practice of the Prophets :
"Indeed we sent Prophets before your time and provided for them wives and children. "
[Surah al-Rad 13:38]
It was the way of Prophet Muhammad ( SalAllahu Alayhi WaSalam ). He said quite clearly to those of his followers who wanted to become overly ascetic:
"By ALLAH! I am the most God-fearing among you, and yet I both fast and break my fast; I both pray and sleep; and I marry women. Whoever wishes for a way other than my way is not of me. "
[Sahih al-Bukhari (Book #62, Hadith #1) and Sahih Muslim(Book #008, Hadith #3236)]
Clothing is something clean and descent and it is nothing to be ashamed of.
6. Clothing is a sign of wealth and self sufficiency. In marriage, the husband and wife fulfill each others needs. ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) says :
"And those who safeguard their private parts, except from their wives and those whom their right hands possess. "
[Surah al-Muminun 23:5-6]
7. Clothing is a pleasure and a delight. Indeed, ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) has made clothing one of the pleasure of Paradise. He says:
"Their clothing therein shall be of silk. "
[Surah Fatir 35:33]
"And they shall wear therein green garments of fine silk and brocade."
[Surah al-Kahf 18:31]
Marriage should indeed be a garment of pleasure. It should bring pleasure to the body and to the soul. It should bring about inner balance and alleviate tension and anxiety. Those who are denied this often suffer from depression, worry and emotional instability.
8. Clothing provides protection, shelter, and warmth. ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) says:
"He has made for you garments that protect you from the heat and coats of mail that protect you in battle."
[Surah al-Nahl 16:81]
ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) says about David (Peace be upon him):
"And We taught him the fashioning of suits of armor to protect you in battle. "
[Surah al-Anbiya 21:80]
9. Clothing implies peace and tranquillity. ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) says :
"And We have made the night a clothing. "
[Surah al-Naba 78:10]
A husband and wife should find in one another peace and tranquillity.
This is why the Prophet ( SalAllahu Alayhi WaSalam ) gave his first wife Khadijah glad tidings of a house in Paradise made of reeds wherein there would be no turmoil or discomfort.
Abu Hurayrah relates the following:
Gabriel ( AllahiSalam ) came to the Prophet ( SalAllahu Alayhi WaSalam ) and said;
"O Messenger of ALLAH ( SalAllahu Alayhi WaSalam )! Khadijah is bringing a vessel containing broth or food or drink. When she comes to you, greet her with peace on behalf of my Lord and of myself and give her glad tidings of a house in Paradise made of reeds wherein there would be no turmoil or discomfort".
[Sahih al-Bukhari (Book #58, Hadith #168) Sahih Muslim(Book #031, Hadith #5967) ]
Scholars have commented that the reason she was given glad tidings of such a house in Paradise is that her home on Earth was like that. It was not like most other homes wherein shouting was commonplace and arguments were frequent and marital problems were rife.
10. Clothing covers a person's body, particularly the private areas. In the same way, a wife protects her husband with herself and likewise protects his wealth and children. The husband in turn protects his wife with himself and safeguard her secrets and fulfills her needs.
ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) says:
"Righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in their husband's absence what ALLAH would have them guard. "
[Surah al-Nisa 4:34]
11. Clothing connotes quality and goodness. ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) says :
"Good women are for good men and good men are for good women. "
[Surah al-Nur 24:26]
12. Clothing conveys the image of something directly touching the skin. It is an intimate bodily contact without any barrier. When the husband and wife have intimate contact, it is as if their bodies take the place of clothing. Symbolically, there is the implication of close proximity and contact throughout their life together.
13. Clothing needs to be kept fresh and clean. It needs to be washed. Likewise the marital relationship between a husband and wife must be refreshed and reinvigorated.
14. Clothing is a personal distinction. Each of us wears his or her own personal clothing. Once husband or wife has an even greater exclusivity. ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) says:
"And those who safeguard their private parts, except from their wives and those whom their right hands possess. "
[ Surah al-Muminun 23 : 5-6 ]
15. Clothing provides variety. Who among us would be content with only one suit of clothes? Likewise the marital life should provide variety. This is why when the Prophet ( SalAllahu Alayhi WaSalam ) was asked about the limits that Islam imposes upon a husband and wife in their intimate relations, he made it clear that everything between a husband and wife is permitted except for two things: anal sex and sex when the woman is menstruating.
ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) says :
"It is made lawful for you to have sexual relations with your wives on the night of the fasts. They are clothing for you and you are clothing for them. "
[Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 187]
JazakAllah Khair ❤'](https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/s552x414/10473504_438068633008046_8499954198253018924_n.jpg?oh=2335b5b45a218414c0bffa28ccc24268&oe=554A1447&__gda__=1431075834_52fbfac5cc4c50665b078e82583106e8)
"They are clothing for you and you are clothing for them."
Surah Al-Baqara 2:187
ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) chose to use the word "clothing" rather than any other word to describe the special relationship between a man and his wife. ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) made the man clothing for the woman and the woman clothing for the man. The word "clothing" as used in this context is rich with meaning. It would be quite difficult to express in words every subtlety that it conveys. We shall try, however, to consider a few of the ideas that this word expresses.
1. The word "clothing" in its most literal sense is what immediately covers the body with no barrier in between.
2. The word clothing connotes the idea of equality, complementarity and support of both a psychological and physical nature. The man has his role and the woman has hers. The woman cannot be construed as merely a vehicle to fulfill the man's desires. She is a human being, equal to the man. Each of them is as clothing to the other in every aspect of life.
3. Clothing implies adornment and beautification. ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) says:
"Take your adornment to every Mosque."
[Surah al-A'raf 7:31]
[Surah al-A'raf 7:31]
A man and a woman are an adornment and beautification for each other.
Ibn Abbas said : "Indeed, I like to dress up for a woman in the same way as I like it for a woman to dress herself up for me. This is because ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) says :
"And they have upon you similar rights to those you have upon them in good dealings." And I do not like to exact from her every right to which I am entitled, since ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) says:
"And for the man there is a degree over them."
[Tafsir al-Tabari (1/625)]
Some of this beauty is also of an intangible nature. Faithfulness and Enduring friendship are a part of faith, as the Prophet ( SalAllahu Alayhi WaSalam ) said :
A woman adorns herself with her husband when she speaks about him to her friends. She can tend to embellish her account, claiming that he loves her so much, and gives her so much... even when the truth is far short of all that.
A woman adorns herself with her husband when she speaks about him to her friends. She can tend to embellish her account, claiming that he loves her so much, and gives her so much... even when the truth is far short of all that.
4. Clothing conveys the meaning of covering and concealment. ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) says:
"O children of Adam! We have bestowed upon you clothing to conceal your shame and as an adornment. "
[Surah al-Araf 7 : 26]
[Surah al-Araf 7 : 26]
A husband and wife screen each other from falling into sin by fulfilling one another's needs in a lawful manner.
Likewise, they conceal from others their intimacy. They do not disclose to others the details of their physical relationship nor the secrets that they share between them nor the little problems that they have with each other. They do not allow the personal life that they share together become the topic of public discourse.
5. Clothing implies cleanliness and purity. This is why ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) commands us saying:
"And your clothing, purify it. "
[ Surah al-Mudaththir 74:4]
"And your clothing, purify it. "
[ Surah al-Mudaththir 74:4]
This dispels the notion that some people have that the marital relationship is somehow a "dirty" thing. There are those who disdain even talking to any length about marriage and what it entails in Islam, because of the bad feelings they have about the topic.
ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) made the institution of marriage the practice of the Prophets :
"Indeed we sent Prophets before your time and provided for them wives and children. "
[Surah al-Rad 13:38]
[Surah al-Rad 13:38]
It was the way of Prophet Muhammad ( SalAllahu Alayhi WaSalam ). He said quite clearly to those of his followers who wanted to become overly ascetic:
"By ALLAH! I am the most God-fearing among you, and yet I both fast and break my fast; I both pray and sleep; and I marry women. Whoever wishes for a way other than my way is not of me. "
[Sahih al-Bukhari (Book #62, Hadith #1) and Sahih Muslim(Book #008, Hadith #3236)]
Clothing is something clean and descent and it is nothing to be ashamed of.
6. Clothing is a sign of wealth and self sufficiency. In marriage, the husband and wife fulfill each others needs. ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) says :
"And those who safeguard their private parts, except from their wives and those whom their right hands possess. "
[Surah al-Muminun 23:5-6]
[Surah al-Muminun 23:5-6]
7. Clothing is a pleasure and a delight. Indeed, ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) has made clothing one of the pleasure of Paradise. He says:
"Their clothing therein shall be of silk. "
[Surah Fatir 35:33]
[Surah Fatir 35:33]
"And they shall wear therein green garments of fine silk and brocade."
[Surah al-Kahf 18:31]
[Surah al-Kahf 18:31]
Marriage should indeed be a garment of pleasure. It should bring pleasure to the body and to the soul. It should bring about inner balance and alleviate tension and anxiety. Those who are denied this often suffer from depression, worry and emotional instability.
8. Clothing provides protection, shelter, and warmth. ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) says:
"He has made for you garments that protect you from the heat and coats of mail that protect you in battle."
[Surah al-Nahl 16:81]
[Surah al-Nahl 16:81]
ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) says about David (Peace be upon him):
"And We taught him the fashioning of suits of armor to protect you in battle. "
[Surah al-Anbiya 21:80]
[Surah al-Anbiya 21:80]
9. Clothing implies peace and tranquillity. ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) says :
"And We have made the night a clothing. "
[Surah al-Naba 78:10]
[Surah al-Naba 78:10]
A husband and wife should find in one another peace and tranquillity.
This is why the Prophet ( SalAllahu Alayhi WaSalam ) gave his first wife Khadijah glad tidings of a house in Paradise made of reeds wherein there would be no turmoil or discomfort.
This is why the Prophet ( SalAllahu Alayhi WaSalam ) gave his first wife Khadijah glad tidings of a house in Paradise made of reeds wherein there would be no turmoil or discomfort.
Abu Hurayrah relates the following:
Gabriel ( AllahiSalam ) came to the Prophet ( SalAllahu Alayhi WaSalam ) and said;
"O Messenger of ALLAH ( SalAllahu Alayhi WaSalam )! Khadijah is bringing a vessel containing broth or food or drink. When she comes to you, greet her with peace on behalf of my Lord and of myself and give her glad tidings of a house in Paradise made of reeds wherein there would be no turmoil or discomfort".
[Sahih al-Bukhari (Book #58, Hadith #168) Sahih Muslim(Book #031, Hadith #5967) ]
[Sahih al-Bukhari (Book #58, Hadith #168) Sahih Muslim(Book #031, Hadith #5967) ]
Scholars have commented that the reason she was given glad tidings of such a house in Paradise is that her home on Earth was like that. It was not like most other homes wherein shouting was commonplace and arguments were frequent and marital problems were rife.
10. Clothing covers a person's body, particularly the private areas. In the same way, a wife protects her husband with herself and likewise protects his wealth and children. The husband in turn protects his wife with himself and safeguard her secrets and fulfills her needs.
ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) says:
"Righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in their husband's absence what ALLAH would have them guard. "
[Surah al-Nisa 4:34]
[Surah al-Nisa 4:34]
11. Clothing connotes quality and goodness. ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) says :
"Good women are for good men and good men are for good women. "
[Surah al-Nur 24:26]
[Surah al-Nur 24:26]
12. Clothing conveys the image of something directly touching the skin. It is an intimate bodily contact without any barrier. When the husband and wife have intimate contact, it is as if their bodies take the place of clothing. Symbolically, there is the implication of close proximity and contact throughout their life together.
13. Clothing needs to be kept fresh and clean. It needs to be washed. Likewise the marital relationship between a husband and wife must be refreshed and reinvigorated.
14. Clothing is a personal distinction. Each of us wears his or her own personal clothing. Once husband or wife has an even greater exclusivity. ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) says:
"And those who safeguard their private parts, except from their wives and those whom their right hands possess. "
[ Surah al-Muminun 23 : 5-6 ]
[ Surah al-Muminun 23 : 5-6 ]
15. Clothing provides variety. Who among us would be content with only one suit of clothes? Likewise the marital life should provide variety. This is why when the Prophet ( SalAllahu Alayhi WaSalam ) was asked about the limits that Islam imposes upon a husband and wife in their intimate relations, he made it clear that everything between a husband and wife is permitted except for two things: anal sex and sex when the woman is menstruating.
ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) says :
"It is made lawful for you to have sexual relations with your wives on the night of the fasts. They are clothing for you and you are clothing for them. "
[Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 187]
[Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 187]
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