Family is the basic unit of every society and the overall tranquility and progress of the society is dependent on the success of this family unit. For a successful marriage both husband & wife have to fulfill their role and duties which Islam has made obligatory.
As muslims there are many duties of husband and wife on each other which should be fulfilled to make the marriage successful. Some of the most important duties of a wife are:
Obedience:
In the relation of husband and wife Islam has made husband the decision maker who should be obeyed in the administrative matters of the household. This doesn’t mean that a husband should adopt the style of a dictator but rather this is to define the roles of both partners.
‘Ali ibn Abi Talhah said, narrating from Ibn ‘Abbaas: “Men are the protectors and maintainers of women” means, they are in charge of them, i.e., she should obey him in matters of obedience that Allaah has enjoined upon her, and obey him by treating his family well and taking care of his wealth. This was the view of Muqaatil, al-Saddi and al-Dahhaak.(Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 1/492)
Caretaker:
A wife is a caretaker for the house, finance and other matters of the husband in his absence. It is her duty to maintain the house, take care of his finance and wealth and doesn’t allow anyone in the house who the husband dislikes.
Serving:
A wife is also obliged to serve her husband in a decent, loving and respectful manner. This depends on the area, status and health of a woman. Such as a woman in a modern city may serve her husband in a different way than someone in a desert of Africa, similarly young women will serve her husband in a different way than an old woman.
Also Read: Imam Hanbal’s 10 Advice For Successful Marriage
One of the most major thought that create differences and problems for a married couple is that husband and wife care more about taking their own rights than fulfilling their duties.
This creates discomfort for the spouse who thinks he/she is being mistreated as a result the spouse stops fulfilling his role in the manner defined by Quran and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Marriage is not a 1+1=2 equation rather it a living where husbands and wives should do more than what is obliged.
If the husband lacks in fulfilling his role then the wife should compromise while motivating the husband to play his role, similarly if the wife is fails in giving husband his due rights he should compromise while convincing her in the best way.