Marriage Etiquette

'They are your garments and you are their garments'

(Surah Al Baqarah 2:187)

Marriage is a gift, a special bond between man and woman, husband and wife. Much has been written about how we should behave towards a spouse after marriage, but no texts are more appropriate than the teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah. With this article, we have attempted to bring together information on marriage etiquette from a variety of sources, which we hope will guide and inspire you in this most wonderful relationship.

A spouse has been described as “a partner, companion and best friend”. The closeness between spouses is unlike any other relationship. The following verse from the Qur’an sums it up perfectly: “They are your garments and you are their garments” (Surah Al Baqarah 2:187). This illustrates how “spouses provide one another with the protection, the comfort, the cover, the support and the adornment that garments provide to humans”.*

The first few years of marriage are often the most challenging as this is the period when husband and wife are getting to know each other better and adjusting to each other’s habits and personalities, as well as to their new roles in society. There are, however, a number of matters of etiquette for married couples to observe which will help to ensure harmony and understanding during this time of transition, as well as in the long term.