Forming the household
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Make a good choice when choosing a spouse – “And marry those among you who are single (i.e., a man who has no wife and a woman who has no husband) and (also marry) the Saulihoon (pious, fit and capable ones). If they be poor, Allah will enrich them out of His Bounty. And Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures’ needs, All-Knowing (about the state of the people).” [al-Noor 24:32 – interpretation of the meaning].

Just as a righteous spouse is one of the four elements of happiness, so a bad spouse is one of the four elements of misery, as it says in the Hadith meaning: “One of (the elements of) happiness is a righteous spouse, who when you see him/her you feel pleased, and when you are away, you feel that you can trust him/her with regard to your property. And one of (the elements of) misery is a bad spouse who when you see him/her, you feel upset, he/she keeps attacking you verbally, and when you are away, you do not feel that you can trust him/her with regard to your property.”

It is also essential to look at the situation of the prospective husband who is proposing marriage to the woman, and to agree to his proposal in accordance with the following advises:

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “If there comes to you one with whose religion and character you are pleased, then marry your daughter [or sister, etc.] to him, otherwise there will be Fitnah and great corruption in the land.”

This must be achieved through asking the right questions, verifying facts, gathering information and checking sources, so that the home will not be corrupted or destroyed. The righteous man and righteous woman together will build a righteous home, because “the vegetation of a good land comes forth (easily) by the Permission of its Lord, and that which is bad, brings forth nothing but a little with difficulty…” [al-A’raaf 7:58 – interpretation of the meaning].