most permanent and best of beauty, which is particular to womanhood and its compassion. Then, when the unfortunate advances in years, her husband’s love for her will persist. For his wife is not merely a temporary helper and companion in this worldly life, but an eternal, lovable companion in everlasting life, so the older they grow their love for each other should also grow, and their compassion and respect. Under the guise of culture and civilization, family life is now is a temporary animal relationship followed by eternal separation, and is being destroyed at its very foundations.
In another place in the Risale-i Nur it says: “Happy the man who in order not to lose his companion of eternity, copies his righteous wife and so becomes righteous himself. And happy the woman who, seeing her husband to be pious, adheres to religion herself so as not to lose her everlasting friend and companion. Unhappy the man who follows his wife in sin, does not try to make her give it up, but joins her. And unhappy the woman who, seeing her husband’s sinfulness, follows him in another way. And alas for the wife and husband who assist one another in throwing each other into the Fire. That is, who encourage one another to embrace the evils of civilization.”
These lines have the following meaning: at this time, Islamic conduct within the bounds of the Shari‘a is the only means of developing family life and finding happiness in this world and the hereafter, and causing the elevated qualities of women to unfold. Now, the most important matter in family life is this, that if the woman sees bad conduct and disloyalty in her husband and to spite him, stints in her loyalty and faithfulness to him, which is her duty as far as the family is concerned, then the factory of that family life will be thrown into confusion, exactly like discipline in the army being spoilt. The woman should try to reform her husband’s faults as far as she can in order to save her companion of eternity. It is harmful in every respect if she starts to show herself to others by unveiling herself and tries to make herself attractive to others. For a woman who gives up complete loyalty pays the penalty in this world too. Because it is her nature to be fearful and upset at the looks of those canonically strangers to her, and to avoid them. She is discomforted at the looks of eighteen out of twenty strangers. As for men, they are discomforted and upset at the looks of only one out of a hundred women who are canonically strangers to them. The woman suffers torment in that respect, and so too may be accused of disloyalty, and due to her weakness, will be unable to defend her rights.
In Short: Just as in respect of compassion women do not resemble men in heroism and sincerity, and men cannot compare with them in that