What did al-Ghazali say about marriage?
Al-Ghazali treated the nikāḥ as a station of worship — with its benefits, its dangers, and its specific demands on both spouses. His chapter is bracingly direct.
10 passages from 6 books in the library
Al-Ghazali treated marriage (nikāḥ) as a station of worship with real benefits and real dangers, and wrote about it with bracing directness. In his Book of Marriage he counsels that the proposal be made known to the woman herself — especially fitting for a virgin, as it fosters affection — and elsewhere in the Iḥyāʾ he names marriage as the remedy when self-restraint and fasting do not suffice, noting how the early Muslims valued it. He also warns against its abuse, condemning a husband who mistreats his wife to force her to surrender her dowry.
Drawn from the classical sources below — in the scholars' own words.
The classical approach.
These passages are drawn from 6 books by Ibn Kathir and 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.
14th century · Bosra, Syria
Monumental history Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah, the world's most widely read Qurʾanic commentary, and the classical Stories of the Prophets.
More on Ibn Kathir →
· Provenance →
-
"and Ishaq. Others have argued that it is apparent her waiting period has ended, and those who narrated that he renewed the marriage contract are weak. In the case of Zainab, this situation indicates that if a woman embraces Islam and her husband's Islam is delayed until her waiting period has ended, her marriage does not dissolve merely because of that. Rather, it remains with the option that if she wishes, she may marry another, and if she wishes, she may wait for her husband's Islam at any time, as long as she does not marry another. This opinion has strength and has a basis in jurisprudence, and Allah knows best."
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 →
-
"a side of me I do not neglect, and another side for joy and idleness. He understood she was a virtuous woman adorned for her husband. A woman should maintain righteousness and modesty in her husband's absence, and return to playfulness and sociability in his presence, ensuring she does not harm him in any manner. It is narrated from Mu'adh ibn Jabal that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, No woman harms her husband in this world but that his heavenly wife among the Auries says, Do not harm him, may Allah destroy you, for he is just a guest with you soon to join us. In marital rights, if a woman's husband passes"
-
"during other times marriage is better. However if one's worship involves knowledge and reflection and earning disrupts this celibacy is preferable. If you wonder why Jesus, peace be upon him, chose not to marry despite the virtue of marriage while our messenger, peace be upon him, married many wives understand that combining both worship and marriage is ideal for those who can manage it. This is for those with strong resolve and high ambitions ensuring nothing distracts them from God. Our messenger, peace be upon him, demonstrated this strength by balancing the virtues of worship and marriage. Even with nine"
-
"After the divorce, when asked why he had done so, he simply said, She is no longer my concern, demonstrating the propriety of not speaking ill after separation. The section also examines the rights of the husband upon his wife. Marriage is described as a type of servitude, where the wife must obey her husband in all matters concerning herself, provided there is no sin involved."
-
"Marriage is described as a type of servitude, where the wife must obey her husband in all matters concerning herself, provided there is no sin involved. Many narratives underscore the significance of a husband's rights. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, If a woman dies while her husband is pleased with her, she will enter paradise."
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 →
-
"The second chapter on the rights of brotherhood and companionship: Understand that the bond of brotherhood between two persons is like the marriage contract between a husband and wife. Just as marriage entails rights that must be fulfilled to uphold the marriage contract, so too does the bond of brotherhood. Your brother has a right upon you in wealth and self, in speech and thought, in forgiveness and supplication, in sincerity and loyalty, and in easing burdens and avoiding artificiality and expectation."
14th century · Bosra, Syria
Monumental history Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah, the world's most widely read Qurʾanic commentary, and the classical Stories of the Prophets.
More on Ibn Kathir →
· Provenance →
-
"said, And he overthrew the cities. So there covered them that which covered, meaning he overturned them, and covered them with a rain of stones from Sijil. It is said that Lot's wife remained with her people. Others say she left with her husband and daughters, but turned back upon hearing the cry and fall of the town, disobeying the command of her Lord. A stone struck her, killing her, and she joined her people as she was upon their religion. She acted as an informant about Lot's guests. As the Most High said, God sets forth an example for those who disbelieve. The wife of Noah and the wife of Lot, who were under two of our righteous servants, but betrayed them. They were"
-
"narrated that 11 women sat together and made a pact that they would not hide anything about their husbands. The first woman said my husband is like the flesh of a lean camel on top of a rugged mountain. There is no ease to climb it nor is he fat enough to be moved. The second woman said I cannot reveal anything about my husband. I fear that if I mention him I will have to speak of his shortcomings and faults. The third woman said my husband is like a wild camel. If he speaks he divorces me and if he remains silent I am left hanging. The fourth woman said my husband is like the heat of Tihama. There is neither warmth nor coolness, no fear nor boredom. The fifth woman"
-
"the heat of Tihama. There is neither warmth nor coolness, no fear nor boredom. The fifth woman said my husband is like a leopard when he enters and like a lion when he exits. He does not ask about what he has promised. The sixth woman said my husband when he eats is like a wolf. When he drinks he gulps. When he lies down he wraps himself up and he does not put his hand in to know my distress. The seventh woman said my husband is a constant talker or a constant grumbler. Every ailment he has is a disease that troubles me or burdens me. The eighth woman said my husband is like the touch of a rabbit and the smell is like that of a wild animal. The ninth woman said my"
-
"its scent and not in its color, and the fragrance of women is what is apparent in its color and not in its scent. Chapter. If a man calls his wife for intimacy, and she refuses, she is considered disobedient to Allah and bears a sin. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said in a hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah, Any woman who denies her husband his need will have two measures of sin upon her, and any man who denies his wife her need will have a measure of sin upon him. This indicates sin. In some hadiths, the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, If a man calls his wife for his need, let her come to him even if she is at the oven. Abu Hurairah also narrated"
Want a different angle?
Type your question below — the answer is built from the same sources, and cited.