Duties and rights are two aspects of justice in Islam. One’s duties are another’s rights. Both husband and wife have certain duties and rights over each other. Both are complementary to each other. Nobody is greater than the other. They are like garments to each other to guard their modesty, dignity and social eminence. Of course, their roles and responsibilities are different according to their different psychological and physiological faculties, as ordained by Allah. A husband should be kind towards his wife and responsible to take care of her and other dependents. The best man is the one who is the best in bestowing kindness to his wife and family. Likewise, wife should present herself pleasantly before her husband and be available at his call. She should follow her husband unless anything contrary to Islamic teachings. Such co-operation should be taken in the right perspective and not be misconstrued as subjugation or slavery. She should enjoy happiness in managing home affairs, bringing up children on Islamic footing and protecting properties of her husband. She should remain chaste and maintain confidence of her family matters.
A wife has the responsibility to her husband and becomes the heart of the new family and her responsibility ends there. She is not responsible to maintain her parents, in normal course. She should not promise any service to her parents or anybody else without the permission of her husband. By love and affection, she should strike a balance both families but should not create discord among them. She should be moderate in her dealings and shun strong personal likes and dislikes and adamant behaviour. She should not impose her personal opinions on the children. She should cultivate love among the children and introduce all relatives to them in the best manner possible, so that they have good impression about their relatives. Her parents should understand their limit and should not interfere in the new family and let her lead her own life, which may or may not be to their expectation. She should not attach priority or inclination to her relatives over her husband’s relatives. Wife’s responsibility is limited but husband’s responsibility extends to maintain his parents, help needy brothers and sisters, relatives and the Muslim society at large. He is answerable to Allah on these accounts. The responsibilities of a husband differ from those of his wife in this regard. The wife should help her husband in discharging his responsibilities to the extended family and the society.
Allah has created all living species in pairs – a male partner and a female partner. The two partners are complementary to each other. They are dependent on each other for social life and continuity of generations. They are destined equally to take part in the holy life struggle but women movements assume men to be their enemies. Pitting man against woman is a crime against the natural order and no social movement can succeed by pitting man against woman or vice versa. The fact remains that the Satan, who creates all kinds of mischief in their minds, is the declared common enemy of human beings. Men and women should guard vigil relentlessly against the designs of Satan. This vigilance is essential to maintain lasting and pleasant relationship.