its implementation enables the spouses to live a happy life; and because it is a means to having many children. When marital relations are good between the spouses, love increases; and when love increases, they come together more often for intercourse, and children result from intercourse. Thus, marital relations are a matter of great importance.

Then know that in dealing with your wife, you should imagine that a man is married to your daughter: how would you want him to treat her? Would you accept his treating her with coldness and harshness? The answer is no. Therefore, do not accept treating another person’s daughter in a way that you would not accept your own daughter being treated. This is a principle every person should understand.

Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, narrated in his Musnad that a man asked the Prophet ﷺ about fornication. The Prophet ﷺ said to him: “Would you accept someone committing fornication with your sister, your daughter, or your mother?” He replied, “No.” He continued mentioning one relation after another, and each time the man replied, “No.” The Prophet ﷺ then said: “So detest what Allah has detested, and love for your brother what you love for yourself.” (1)

This is an exceedingly clear rational criterion. Just as a man would not accept his daughter being under a husband who neglects her rights, humiliates her, and treats her like a slave-woman, whipping her as a slave is whipped, likewise he must treat his own wife accordingly—not with arrogance or with an abusive, excessive exercise of authority.

Likewise, the wife must treat her husband well—indeed, even better than he treats her—for Allah, Exalted is He, says in His Book: “Women have rights similar to those against them, according to what is fair; but men have a degree over them.” [al-Baqarah 2:228] And because Allah, Most High,