Eleventh Letter to Tahira
My dear Tahira, you must be wondering about the fact that on the one hand, the Quran
suffices with basic instructions on important matters of life, while on the other hand it
gives specific guidance on minor matters in society. For instance: "Don't be caustic
to people; do not shout (or yell); do not be arrogant; get permission before you enter
somebody's house; How you should sit formally; if you have completed your work, do not
waste other people's time in aimless talking etc. etc". But my dear, perhaps you have
not pondered over how important these little things in life are! Major problems are faced
in life occasionally, and these are generally confronted by special people. But you come
across these everyday happenings at every step in a society, and by everybody.
Small Happenings
The foundation of the fort of life, no doubt, is built upon those facts which the Quran
describes as principles, but the rest of the building is constructed on it by these bricks
which are known as the daily small happenings. Just imagine, no matter how much of a 'man
of principle' a person is, if he is impolite and caustic, then although the people who
deal with him will learn from his principles, he will in fact cause them more distress
than benefit by his impoliteness. People will shrink away from him and avoid meeting him.
In fact, a person's character is depicted by these small gestures. Adhering to principles
is like fuel in the car of life. It is true that a car moves with petrol in it, but you
know how much Saleem cares for the engine oil that goes with the petrol. He says the lack
of petrol would at the most bring the car to a halt, but if the oil is not there, it would
burn the engine. If following principles is like petrol, then the 'small details' of life
work like oil. If these are missing, they cause friction which can burn the delicate
strands of a mutual relationship. Just consider whether these small details which the
Quran describes for social life are of passing importance, or are they vital like
permanent values? Is impoliteness and being caustic, which was shunned fourteen hundred
years ago, considered praiseworthy today? You will see that these things are just as
important today as they were then. These social etiquette and manners have their own
standing, and it is absolutely necessary to follow them and to preserve them.
Social Manners at Home
These social manners and morés are important in every aspect of life, but their
importance is greatly enhanced in home-life. I see so many families (husband and wife; or
other relatives) where there was nothing objectionable as a rule, but ignoring these
niceties at home ruined their peace and contentment; or at least it is no longer the same
between a husband and wife, a life which the Quran calls a haven of love and peace. Just
think of it, when a husband comes home with a smiling greeting and the wife greets him
graciously, how depressions and frictions can get drowned! When one person's
un-intentional mistakes could be rebutted by only a real smile, it would certainly reward
one with a heavenly home. Also, if one person flares up and the other remains soft-spoken,
this would douse a fire. On the other hand if a wife gets annoyed and goes to the other
room poutingly, instead of discussing a conflicting problem seriously, it could create a
deep rift between the two people. Also not admitting one's shortcoming, and keeping on
arguing to prove one's point, can rob a home of its peace. Here I am talking about
impoliteness or sour behaviour and the like, but I have observed that carelessness in
small matters around the house creates a tense atmosphere at home. You must have seen your
late aunt, but you did not have the opportunity to observe (or study) her home-life. You
were quite young when she died. About her, I can say with certainty, that she never ever
committed a crime or sin throughout her whole life.
Exemplary Righteous Woman
She was a rare example of honest and upright life, a personification of honesty and
chastity. So soft hearted was she that if a thorn pricked the foot of a servant, she would
cry the whole night. She was such a contented woman that she never asked your uncle to buy
her clothes or jewellery. Your uncle led a simple and modest life, despite his handsome
income. By simple life, I mean that whatever was left over after fulfilling their general
needs, was spent on constructive purposes for the welfare of humanity. He was posted to a
high office. Everybody could see the affluent life-style of his contemporaries. They had
cars, big bungalows, servants, chandeliers, glitter, jewellery, and expensive clothes. In
short, they had everything that is considered essential for the household of officers.
Your Aunty could see all that and realized the comparatively simple life of her home,
which may be referred to as "poor". But she never cared and never complained,
let alone even thought of what her standard of living was compared to theirs (The Jones).
You will be surprised to know that the late lady did not know what your uncle's salary
was, and neither did she ever feel the need to inquire. Ponder, Tahira! Could you find
such a woman today? You also have your uncle whom you know better than I do. If she was
unique among women, then he was a person of outstanding qualities among men. He has lofty
qualities of head and heart, even in his old age. It is so obvious that if you do not find
heavenly the family life of such a husband and wife, where else would you find heaven on
this earth? But you will be surprised to know that in spite of all this, the outcome of
such a companionship was not as pleasant as it should have been. But do not misunderstand!
You can gauge the nature of their companionship from the fact that your aunt passed away
when your uncle was still a middle-aged man. But after that, the idea of a second marriage
did not even cross his mind. He has said to you many times, "I did not marry again
because I could not find another woman like your aunt". What I want to say is that
having all those good qualities would have ensured a heavenly home, but it was not. The
reason was that although the late lady had such high standards of principles, she was not
careful enough about the small everyday happenings. She was not a terse or impolite woman.
How could such a sensitive and sympathetic woman be like that! But she was not careful
about the small niceties around the house. On the contrary, uncle used to be very careful
about the little details along with the lofty principles.
Punctuality
For example, he believed in being on time. You must have noticed, punctuality was so
important for him, and he was intensely particular about it. But your aunt, (like it is
usual for the woman in our society), was never bothered by punctuality. This is a small
issue, but think how much friction they must have been having on this one point,
throughout the day. By friction, I do not mean quarrelling, I mean mental confrontations.
Particularly, for a sensitive person like your uncle, this type of mental friction was
worse than quarreling. We often noticed that whenever they had to go out somewhere, uncle
used to be ready and waiting outside the door, but Aunty took her time coming out from the
house.
Not a thing in its place
On inquiry you found out that she could not find one of the shoes of the pair. This was
the second difference in their habits. Uncle believed in a neat life style. You could get
at this neatly kept things even in the darkness of night. You only had to reach for the
thing you wanted, and you would find it even in the dark. In contrast, aunty's predicament
was that if she found the salt shaker, then she would not find the pepper shaker. If the
motor was in front of her, then she could not find the pressing stone. Whenever you went
to her house, the first thing you heard was, "I had it in my hand a minute ago, but
can't remember where I put it". This was the third point of incompatibility in their
habits. Uncle's memory is so sharp, till today, that he can tell you where a stone or
electric post used to be thirty years ago.
Absent-Minded
Aunty's forgetfulness was such that one evening I saw the girdle on the stove and she
looked worried. When asked, she told that she had forgotten to knead the flour. She
realized this only when she put the girdle on the stove. On the other hand, uncle's habit
was such that if he would not get his meal on time, then he would not eat.
Mismanagement
We had seen that when heading towards the bathroom from his room, on the way he would
straighten a bed, or move a chair to its proper position, or arrange a curtain properly,
or pick up a child's misplaced book and put it in the satchel. But when he reached the
bathroom, he would notice that soap was missing, but the towel was there. If his shirt was
there then his vest was not. He used to protest loudly over this. He knew how heavily the
scales of untidiness tilted towards his wife's good traits. These drawbacks of her were
due to wrong upbringing. He felt quite unnerved by it, as you can guess! But do not
measure your aunt as raw material in house hold affairs or management. Absolutely not. The
only thing was that she was not as careful as your uncle about small niceties around the
house. It would not have mattered if your uncle, too, was like that. However, since his
disposition was different, he used to suffer. If only aunty would have tried a little it
would not have been difficult to over come her shortcomings. She should have done so.
Now, your friends, if not you, would surely remark: "See Mr. Parwez is after all a
man, so he has sided with men". He says, "Aunty should have changed and made her
habits congruent with uncle's. Why does he not say that uncle should have tried to walk
along aunty's traits"? But dear, if you look carefully, you will discern the fact
that I am not for or against anybody. It is obvious that aunt's carelessness was not a
good habit. On the contrary uncle's life-style was commendable. That is the reason why I
have said that aunty should have changed her habits to eliminate the friction. If uncle
would have been the careless one, and aunty careful, then I would have suggested the same
thing for uncle.
If you ask, what if both had been careless? Then either they would have corrected their
habits with mutual consent, or if that was not possible then they would have gone along
with each other without friction.
Compatibility
But how this kind of careless home affects children is quite obvious. It is absolutely
necessary for a husband and wife to be compatible, first of all in principles then in
matters of habits and directions. Do you know why Quran forbids the marriage of a believer
Momin to a non-believing Mushrik woman or vice-versa? (2:221) Faith and disbelief are two
antagonistic principles that take you to two different tracks of life. (I have told you
this many times before). Quran wants to highlight this fact that men and women of
antagonistic beliefs can never have a harmonious married life. If two such people do get
married, then they would have a life of hell. Quran says, people who want to perpetuate
such a relationship do beckon you to the fire. But God beckons you, as per this
commandment, to a life that promises to be heavenly and protects you from destruction
(2:221).
Have you pondered Tahira, why Allah considers the incompatibilities in matrimonial
relationships as hell? These verses bring forth principal differences in faith, which are
widely opposite ways of life. The Quran goes as deep as to say: Women impure are for men
impure and women impure for men impure. In contrast to it: And women of purity are for men
of purity and men of purity are for women of purity. (24:26). "Impure and pure"
are very concise terms of Quran. They encompass the purity and impurity of mind and heart,
piety and sordidness of habits, and of a character being pleasant or unpleasant. Quran
discerns the compatibility of beliefs and practices as a basic condition for a husband and
wife. It ties a hellish man with a hellish woman, and a heavenly man is strung together
with a heavenly woman. Therefore, it is incumbent for making your married life heavenly,
that a wife should instill all the good habits of her husband and a husband should make
himself congruent with all the pleasant traits of his wife. In this context everyday
niceties need to be especially pampered. Leave alone our headstrong men whose brains are
ridden with the faulty notions that men are in every way superior to women and have an
upper-hand over them, and that therefore it would be an insult to condone their wives good
traits. But our women, too, are too lazy to bring a change in themselves. Whenever, or if
ever the husband encourages them to change, they retort by saying that they have been
molded that way and that they would remain the same, whether they are good or bad.
"You can find the woman you desire from the West, so bring them from there".
Just think, my daughter, what a negative mentality this is, and how destructive this kind
of foolishness could be. If a husband and wife's relationship is like a body and apparel,
then they have to fit to each other. The apparel should fit the body. The Quran says: They
are your garments and you are their garments (2:187).
Now do you understand why the Quran emphasizes the everyday niceties, and how important
they are for home-life? God be with you. My blessings for young Javed!
Please listen, by no means should your Uncle see this letter. He just cannot stand
anything said against your late aunt. That respected lady had such a high character, and
what a husband he was with such a purity of thought! Where one would find such people now!
Parwez
July 1956
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