What does Islam say about jealousy between spouses?
Protective jealousy for what Allah has made sacred is praised; jealousy that accuses without cause is blamed. The scholars drew a careful line the Prophet ﷺ demonstrated.
10 passages from 6 books in the library
Islam praises protective jealousy over what Allah has made sacred but blames jealousy that accuses without cause. Imam al-Ghazali, in his Book of Marriage, distinguishes the two: there is a jealousy Allah loves and a jealousy Allah detests — the man's baseless suspicion of his wife when no wrong exists. He cites that Allah is jealous and so is the believer, Allah's jealousy being roused when a believer transgresses what He forbade. Al-Ghazali frames marriage as carrying mutual rights to be fulfilled with respect and compassion, and points to the Prophet as the most generous of people in honoring those bonds.
Drawn from the classical sources below — in the scholars' own words.
The classical approach.
These passages are drawn from 6 books by Imam al-Ghazali — part of the classical Sunni tradition that carries over a thousand years of reflection on the Qurʾān, the authentic Sunnah, and the consensus of the early community. Nothing below is a paraphrase. The words are the scholars' own, translated from the original Arabic manuscripts.
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
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"If marriage or intercourse were avoided for this reason, it would be sinful not because of refraining from marriage or intercourse"
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"There is a kind of jealousy that Allah Almighty detests, which is the jealousy of a man for"
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"marriage as well as the significance of treating one's spouse with respect and compassion."
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"Allah the Almighty is jealous, and so is the believer. Allah's jealousy is that a believer"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"protect by marriage bonds, or was not forbidden from marriage to him. He was the most generous of people."
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"do not suffice, marriage is the remedy. Early Muslims valued marriage and arranged marriages"
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"devotee should behave in marriage. However, if one can abstain from marriage, it is better,"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"belief in the virtue of marriage following the Prophet's Sunnah, one cannot intend marriage"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"Just as marriage entails rights that must be fulfilled to uphold the marriage contract,"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"a better home, his family with a better family, and his spouse with a better spouse."
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