Preface
The word (zawaj), in Arabic is used to mean marriage and the joining together in pairs. This is the meaning of the word zawaj in Arabic. The word zawaj and the word nikah are both used in the Noble Qur’an and in the Sunnah.
Good companionship is another of the rights shared by each of the couple. It is obligatory for the husband to provide good companionship to his wife and it is also obligatory for the wife to provide good companionship to her husband. Allah Almighty says: “Live together with them correctly and courteously” (4:19), and the Almighty says: “Women possess rights similar to those held over them to be honoured with fairness” (2:228). Some of the people of knowledge say, “The correspondence here is in each of them conveying the right they owe to their companion with correctness and courtesy, and not delaying it or showing dislike. Rather they should display cheerfulness and joy. They should not follow it up with reproach or condescension since Allah says: “Live together with them correctly and courteously,” and that is not part of correctness. It is recommended for each of the couple to have good character with the other and to be kind to the other and to endure his or her shortcomings. It is established that the Messenger of Allah, (PBUH), ordered men to be good to women and called on them to put up with them and to be patient about the things that tend to annoy husbands in their character. The Prophet (PBUH) guided husbands to good behaviour and forbade husbands to hate their wives simply out of dislike for one of her qualities, for in spite of that she might not be lacking in another attribute which is pleasing to her husband. There are many hadith that indicates that a wife must also treat her husband well.
