Mohammad Mazhar Hussaini

Quran and Hadith about marriage. What does Nikah mean and what does it take to enter into a marriage agreement in Islam? It is a strong contract or covenant (mithaqun Ghalithun) as expressed in Quran 4:21.

"When the servant of Allah marries, he has fulfilled half the (responsibilities laid on him by the) faith; so let him be God conscious with respect to the other half," declared by Prophet Muhammad (Mishkat).

Normally the criteria for selecting matrimonial mates are many: wealth, beauty, rank, character, congeniality, compatibility, religion, etc. The Quran enjoins Muslims to select partners who are pure (tayyib).

While the intentions of the compilers of such lists/books cannot be doubted; the fact remains that such list/books become out dated soon after their publication. The products researched today enjoying the halal status may change anytime to haram