Allaah says:
“permitted for you, during the night of the fast, that you approach your wives. They are your garments, and you are their garments" (Q2 [Baqarah]: 187).
In this verse, each spouse is described as a 'garment' to the other. The famous exegete Injurer al-Tabari (d. 311) stated that this description most aptly described the act of intimacy between the spouses, for during that act, each spouse sheds his or her other garments and then wraps around the other, taking the place of clothes. A1-Qurtubi (d. 671) also comments on this metaphor, and adds that just as clothes protect their wearer from the external elements, similarly each spouse protects the other from external passions that would harm a marriage.
Combining between the various explanations of this beautiful metaphor found in the books of Tafseer, we can derive many meanings from it:
* The act of procreation is so intimate that it is literally as if one of the spouses covers up the other, just as clothing covers up one’s body. Another euphemism that the Quran uses for the sexual act is the verb Ghashsha, which means 'to cover up, to envelop'.
* One primary purpose of clothing is to conceal one’s nakedness, since this nakedness (or'Awrah) is embarrassing to display, and should be hidden from the eyes of others. Similarly, each spouse conceals the other spouse's faults, and does not reveal them to others.
* Clothing protects one from the external elements, such as heat and cold. Similarly, spouses protect one another from external desires that originate from many different sources. By satisfying these desires within the confines of marriage, external passions are removed.
* Clothing is the primary method through which humans beautify themselves. Without clothing, one is incomplete and naked. Similarly, spouses beautify and complete one another; when a person is not married, he or she is not yet complete and has not reached his or her full potential. Marriages an essential part of being fully human, just like clothes are inessential part of being fully civilized.
* Clothes are only worn in front of others, and are not necessary in front of spouses. It’s only in front of one's spouse that the other spouse can discard his or her garments.
* Clothes are the closest thing to one's body. Nothing comes between a person and his or her clothes. So the analogy of spouses being 'like clothes tone another' implies such closeness - there is nothing, literally and metaphorically, that should come between spouses.
(This piece is part of a series of online seminar in family intimacy run by Yasir Qadhi)
Household Tips Vinegar Ideas
Tips to Cleaning with Vinegar
The cleaning aisle at just about any supermarket store is stocked with a dizzying array of options – and when it comes down to it, there are a lot of expensive, toxic, superfluous products crowding the market. Chances are you already have one of the best, all-purpose cleaning agents in your kitchen: white vinegar.
Here are some ideas for making the most of vinegar:
1. Deodorize the sink: Pour 1 cup baking soda, followed by 1 cup hot vinegar, down the drain. Let sit for at least 5 minutes, and then rinse with hot water.
2. Clean the fridge: Use a mixture of half water, half vinegar to wipe down the interior shelves and walls.
3. Remove soap build-up and odours from the dishwasher: Once a month, pour 1 cup of vinegar into an empty dishwasher and run the machine through its entire cycle.
4. Bust oven grease: If you’ve got grease spots on the oven door, pour some vinegar directly on the stains, let it sit for 15 minutes, and wipe away with a sponge.
5. To make old glassware sparkle: To get rid of the cloudy effect, wrap a vinegar-soaked towel around the glass and let it sit. Remove and rinse with hot wate
6 Deter ant infestations: Spray outside doorways and windowsills, and anywhere you see a trail of pests.
7. Shine porcelain sinks: A bit of vinegar and a good scrub should leave them sparkling.
8. Make a toilet sparkle: Pour in a cup or two of vinegar and let it sit there overnight before scrubbing with a toilet brush.
9. Disinfect wood cutting boards: Wipe down wood boards with a wash of vinegar.
10. Clean the microwave: Fill a microwave-safe bowl with 2 cups water and ½ cup vinegar. Heat it on full power for 3 – 4 minutes until it comes to a boil. Keep the door closed for a few minutes longer to let the steam fill the microwave, loosening the grime. Remove the bowl (carefully) and wipe down interior walls with a sponge.
This article was culled from the publications of Deen Communication Limited