Leisure is found for divine service. The spouse lessens the duties of the partner. Solaiman Darani said: A religious wife does not only appertain to three things of enjoyments of the world, rather such a woman is one of the instruments of the next world. She gives leisure to her husband for doing divine service. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: Let one of you have a grateful heart, a remembering tongue and a chaste wife helping him for the next world. Umar RA said: Nothing better has been given to a man after faith than a virtuous wife. No wealth is compared as valuable to a man as a chaste wife.

There are some duties arising out of a marriage which are considered as divine services -to maintain a family, to have patience at the character and conduct of the spouse, to bear the hardships of the family members, to try to do good to them, to show them the path of religion, to earn for them lawful things and to educate the children. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "One day of a just ruler is better than divine service for seventy years." To rule a family is no less task than a king. He said: "Be careful, everyone of you is a ruler and everyone of you will be asked about his subjects. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "What man spends for his family will be considered as an act of charity. Even if he lifts a morsel of food to the mouth of his wife, he will get rewards therefrom."

A learned man mentioned about his actions regarding his pilgrimage, Jihad and other good works to another learned man. The latter said: "you are far away in comparison with the religious acts of the pious." He asked him: "What are those?" He said: "Those are lawful earnings and expenses for the family."

The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "He whose prayer is good, who has a big family, whose wealth is little and who abstains from defaming the Muslim will live in Paradise with me like these two fingers."

He said: "Allah loves the poor man having a big family and refraining from begging." There is in another Hadith that if the sins of the family members of a man become large, Allah tries them therewith that they may be expiations of his sins." A certain wise man said "There is a certain sin of which there is no expiation except patience at the trouble of maintaining a family."

The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "If a man has three daughters and he spends for their maintenance, Allah makes Paradise sure for him, except one whose sin in not pardonable (Shirk)."

~ AL-GHAZALI ~