Seeking The Pleasure Of Allah With Your Spouse

If the husband and wife come together with this goal of compatibility. What is compatibility? Is when both of them recognize that, in order to have a successful marital relationship, they need to place their goal, which is Jannah. Everything else falls into place. If Paradise and the seeking of pleasure of Allah, Subhana wa Ta'ala, is something that both husband and the wife work together to establish, then what happens?

There will be problems. No one is denying that it will be roses, but the major problems will be prevented. Why? Because the individual recognizes that whatever there are issues going on in life, there are bigger ones. And that is, they ask, is God pleased with this or not? Because my purpose, the compatibility, the goal of this marriage, the fact that I am with my wife, is to seek the pleasure of the Almighty, isn't it? It's for me to attain Jannah, isn't it? What my action is doing, is it in accordance with the pleasure of God or not? If it is not, should I correct it? Should I make it a better action, in that respect?

Therefore you'll find I recall that one of the scholars one day was talking about this. He said, look, marriage and successful happiness in marital relationship, is based upon seeking compatibility when it comes to spirituality, and the pleasure of God, and seeking Jannah. And then he said, you know, in Jannah the husband has the ability to intercede for his wife, and the wife has the ability to intercede for her husband. They have the ability to do shafa't for each other. To raise each other to the status in Jannah. So work together so that you enter Jannah together.

So all of a sudden, when he was saying this, somebody from the crowd stood up and left. He was unhappy. So, later on, the scholar asked him back. He said, can you come back? What happened after the majlis? He said to him, what's wrong with you? Why did you leave? And why were you unhappy by the suggestion that you should be with your wife in Jannah? He said, Mawlana, all my life I'm trying to get rid of my wife and you want her to come with me in Jannah? I don't want that to happen.

But why is that? Because that individual has not understood the purpose behind marriage. They have looked at it in a very physical, superficial manner. Not in its complete package that the regime of Islam has presented it. What about Ali and Fatimah, salamu Allahi alayhima?

How does this particular model and how does it apply to their lives? Let me give you a number of examples. When Sayyidat un-Nisa', peace and blessings be upon her, was asked about Amir al-Mu'minin, what do you think about your husband Ali? She responded by saying: he is the best husband in all the qualities. In everything that I'm looking for, na'ma al-ba'l, in all the aspects that the human being seeks in a husband.

When Amir al-Mu'minin was asked, what about your wife, Fatimat uz-Zahra'? What a line! Notice what Amir al-Mu'minini said. He said: "na'ma al-awunu 'ala ta'ati Allah", she was the best aid and help and assistance in achieving the goal of creation and existence, and that is seeking the pleasure of God. She was the best help for me in achieving this.

Which means what? Which means that when Ali and Fatimah are working together, everything falls into place, because they have one goal. Let me give you several examples.

Miqdad looks at Ali and he is not in the right state, Miqdad says to him: why are you not happy today? Miqdad said that my family is hungry. Amir al-Mu'minin had one dinar to go and spend and buy some food for his own family. He had taken that as a loan. He takes it and gives it to Miqdad.

Miqdad goes away. Amir Al-Mu'minin goes to the mosque with the Holy Prophet. He prays behind Rasul Allah. They finish Salat ul-Isha'. Rasul Allah says to him: ya, Ali. Ya Aba al-Hasan, I want to come and eat food with you tonight. Imam knows there's no food at home. What does he say to Rasul Allah? Does he say to him ya Rasul Allah, sorry, we do not have any food? He says, Ya Rasul Allah, this is your house. You are very welcome to come.

He comes to the house, Sayyida Fatimah notices that her father, the Holy Prophet, has come to the house. She goes and sits in the area that she prepares the food. She lifts her hands towards the heavens and asks Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala for assistance. As soon as she finishes her du'a, the traditions tell us that Jibra'il descends with a plate of food from the heaven, from Jannah. And when Lady Fatimah presents this food, do not be surprised, because the Maqam and the position of Sayyida Fatimah is that above much more than Mary, Mariyam, alayha as-salam, in the Qur'an.

Because Mary is sayyidati un-nisa'i ahli zamaniha, she was the leading woman of her time from the beginning of time towards the end. And of course this aspect happened to Mary, that she was praying and she would be given food from Jannah. The Holy Prophet looks at Ali and says, ya Ali, this is a small recompense from Allah, for the fact that you sacrificed and you gave your dinar, whatever you had for Miqdad.

In other words, this element of self-sacrifice for the sake of Allah was very much present and prevalent in the life of Ali and Fatimah. You look at other examples when this is not present, you will find problems, you will find challenges. I will give you one example, and then we move on to the second practical point.

There was a man, a king by the name of King Parviz and his wife is referred to as Queen Shaheen. I'm just giving this example just to illustrate that sometimes compatibility, if there is no common objective, problems will occur. So King Parviz one day asked the sailor, you know, fisherman, he said can you bring me the best fish that you have obtained? Best fish. So the sailor presents him with a big fish that he has caught. The king is so impressed with this fish. He says, I will give you 4000 gold coins.

But unfortunately, his wife, Queen Shaheen was not on the same wavelength in generosity. So she says to her husband, the king, she says, You have given him 4000 gold coins for one fish. It is too much. You should not do this. The king said, Well, khalas, it's gone, I cannot take it back now. He said, no, ask for a refund. Ask for it back. He says, how? He said, Ask him, is this male fish or female fish? If he says it's a male, say, no, sorry, I want female. And if he says it's a female, say, I want male, and take your money back. He said okay, come back. Sailor came back.

The king asked him, Is this a male fish or is a female fish? The sailor looked up the cane. He said, Your Majesty, this is a special breed of fish. It's neither male or female. It is special. Very special. The king was so impressed with the answer, he gave him another 4,000. The queen now is burning inside. She is thinking, why have I done this? Why have I said this? So the man walks off.

He is carrying his 8000 gold coins and all of a sudden one gold coin falls onto the ground and he is looking for it anxiously. The queen says to him, you have 7999 gold coins and you are still looking for one. Leave it. Why are you acting like a miserly stingy person? You should just walk. Why are you looking for one gold coin? He says to her, Your majesty, your queen, it is not the one gold coin that I am looking for. It is the fact that this gold coin has the picture of my beloved king. I don't want anyone to step on it. The king hears this, he gives him another 4,000.

So sometimes when there is this element of breakdown in compatibility there will be problems.