Qur’anic Strategies for the Continuity of Marriage and the Reduction of Harm

Abstract

The family, as the smallest social unit, forms the foundation for the growth and development of any society and holds a special status in religious texts. However, over time and in response to contemporary transformations, it has encountered numerous challenges that necessitate support through various approaches. Accordingly, this study, adopting an intra-religious and descriptive-analytical approach, examines family-related harms from the perspective of the Holy Qur’an. By focusing on the verses containing "In Khiftum" and those related to the root "Khauf" (fear), it extracts and analyzes the relevant verses. Utilizing exegetical and narrative sources, the study identifies family-related harms in three dimensions: cognitive, behavioral, and emotional. The findings indicate that the Holy Qur’an highlights three categories of common harms, including lack of honesty, verbal abuse, defamation, and misconduct by men, such as physical, psychological, and legal mistreatment of their wives, as well as misconduct by women, such as inappropriate self-adornment and breach of marital commitments. To counter these harms, the Qur’an presents various ethical principles and jurisprudential rulings. Principles such as awareness of the rights and responsibilities of spouses, the promotion of ethical conduct, spirituality, good companionship, preservation of mutual respect and dignity, kindness and tolerance, trustworthiness and confidentiality in marital relations, loyalty and adherence to marital commitments, and ultimately, adopting an approach based on intimacy and friendship, which aligns with human nature and divine wisdom, can strengthen the moral foundations of the family and provide an effective strategy for the continuity of marriage.