Deadlock Or Wedlock?

DEADLOCK OR WEDLOCK?

BY; JAWAD IQBAL JAWAD

 

In every religion and society, marriage is an occasion of festivity. But in Islam, it is more than sheer celebration and enjoyment. It is moreover fulfillment of a sacred obligation. According to Hadith, it is the path of perfection in belief that leads to submission before the will of Allah Almighty. Without a concrete justification, living life as a bachelor is not permissible. And it's all based on reason and logic. At its core, Islam leads to a life of modesty and contentment. Straying away from the noble path of Islam has made our lives complicated, to be more precise, it has disfigured the beauty of life. Late marriages have become more of a trend these days. There is no denying the fact that many of such cases are the fallout of the prevalent circumstances. But honestly, these circumstances are made by the society itself.

 

Our educated youth seems preoccupied to acquire the status of their ideals and achieve their over ambitious targets. In the struggle, not only do they invaluable years that make up their prime age but the regard for moral values as well. Idles of cost, creed and class let the beauty of young age wither away. Moreover, the curse of dowry plays its own repulsive role in the lives of our sisters and daughters. A simple festivity has been turned into a complex web of intricacy.  Difficulty in finding just the right match is a common issue among middle class, especially in urban areas. I have personally met over a dozen of such parents and youth who are waiting for suitable partners, according to their perceptions.

 

A lady of 33 waits for a man who is taller, older, highly educated, shares the same cast/sect and speaks the same mother tongue. Big ask, isn't it? Here the lady is herself the cause of her perils and nobody else. Trying to live a contemporary lifestyle and then doing whatever it takes to meet the growing demands of such a standard of living has also played its due role in adding up to the problems. Girls and boys certainly have much more opportunities to interact with one another than what they had in the past. They study in groups, work in equal opportunity organizations and are blessed with the facilities of open communications through mobile phones and the internet. Technology speaks their language and in turn they do not have to fear the misdirection of their love letters anymore.

 

Remedy for this state of disarray is neither strange nor surprising. If educated youth segment of the society is adorned with wedlock in time, these mounting moral evils and social problems can be dealt away with to a greater extent. After completing their graduation, boys and girl can get married and from there on they can well proceed to complete their higher education and embark on their professional careers. At the same time the Government must take radical measures to educate and motivate them in issues pertinent to maternal, newborn and child healthcare issues. Wedding must not stand for heaps of dowry, sparkling jewelry and a grand Walima feast that may put both of the family under heavy debts.

 

An educated boy with a good moral character and an adequate way of income should be accepted by the parents of an educated girl. An unending list of demands put forth by either side does not guarantee a happily ever after. Now is the time for the youth of Pakistan to stand up and against these vindictive customs traditions imposed upon them by the society. This is the way to happiness, reforms and righteousness.  This is the way that we will have to adopt for ourselves and for our children. This is the way for a good today and for a better tomorrow.