Ans.46: O my daughter, first of all, what these sisters have done is very good; they have requested little as was mentioned in the athaar (narrations) which was that the women who have the most barakah (blessing) are those who are not difficult to deal with. Secondly, I give advice to these husbands to live in goodness with their wives especially those women who made their dowry easy. This is due to the hadeeth of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam who said that, ‘The best amongst you are those who are best to their wives, and I am the best to my wives.’ So every Muslim man and woman should know that marriage is a great responsibility and it is obligatory upon the woman that she recognises that the husband is a responsibility placed around her neck and she will be asked about his rights on the Day of Judgment. Likewise, the wife is a responsibility around the neck of the husbands and he will be asked about her rights on the Day of Judgment. So having good relations between the husband and wife is obligatory and from having good relations is forgiving one another when a mistake is made by either. The responsibility on the man is greater. We know from ‘Aishah (radhi Allaahu ‘anha) that a man said that he wanted to marry his daughter, and asked who he should marry her to and he was told that he should marry his daughter to someone who fears Allaah because if he loves his wife, then he will treat her with generosity and if he doesn’t, then he will not oppress her. And Allaah Knows Best.