It is reported from Hadrat Abdullah Bin Amr (Radiallahu Anhu.) that the Prophet (Salallaahu Alaihi Wasalaam) is reported to have said:
"The entire world is in its entirety a provision, and (among them) the best provision is a righteous wife " (Saheeh Muslim)
It is said that a man without a woman is an incomplete man. When we look at Hadrat Adam (Alaihis Salaam) in Jannah surrounded by all its luxuries, pleasures and comforts we find that he was still lacking in something. Allah Ta’ala, created Hawa (Alaihas Salaam). Not only did she complement his existence but also she completed him. Thus the above holds very true that a man remains incomplete in a bachelor state.
So whilst a woman in the life of a man is greatly needed to complete him, she also holds the potential of destroying him. She could either enhance his life or mar or scar his life, sometimes irreparably. The state of countless marriages today bear ample testimony to the above fact. Because of the wrong choices many a man has made today his wife is no longer a source of peace, tranquillity and untold joy in his life. His life has become a living-hell filled with pain, hurt, misery and untold anguish. She no longer is his crown that he proudly wears. Instead she has become his crown of thorns.
In our journey through life towards the eternal life of the hereafter, all the resources at our disposal which are to aid us in this journey, there can be no better resource than a righteous wife as stated in the above hadeeth. In Islam this resource is only obtainable through the institute of marriage or Nikaah.
This is a relationship of two co-equal partners as exemplified in the Qur'an where Allah Ta’ala says:
And the believing men and the believing women, some are guardians (protectors) to one another. They enjoin what is good and prevent that which is evil and they establish Salaah, give Zakaah and obey Allah and His messenger. They are those upon whom Allah will have mercy on. Indeed He is the most exalted, the Most Wise. (Suratut-Tawbah, verse 71)
Spouses exert influence upon one another for a period longer than any other relationship.
Sometimes these influences are positive and at times negative. That is why a righteous spouse is the best resource a person can have in this world for her being righteous would mean nothing but a positive influence. Having a righteous wife makes the journey that much easier and enjoyable through mutual understanding, encouragement, and cooperation. Within the institute of marriage however, several aspects deserve special attention. They are:
1️⃣ The emphasis of the hadith is equally applicable to the husband being righteous , i.e., from the vantage of a wife even though the hadeeth addresses the man.
2️⃣Muslims should be extra careful in selecting their life partners from the Islamic viewpoint.
3️⃣ Muslims should recognize the reciprocal duties and rights of their respective spouses. In respect to their educational and all other rights in our contemporary male-dominated Muslim society, husbands have to be facilitators and defenders. Should each spouse bear in mind the rights of the other and endeavour to fulfil them then every marriage would be a blissful one.
4️⃣ Muslim women should know and understand their Islamic rights and strive to secure these rights . At the same time they should also be wary of the rights that the husband has over them. Securing rights is a social duty and, spouses as partners must work together towards the attainment of the same goal.
At the end it is noteworthy to mention that Hadrat Ali (RadiaAllahu Anhu) is of the view that in the dua of the Qur’aan, “ O Allah grant us the goodness of this world and the goodness of the hereafter as well” , the goodness of this world refers to a pious and righteous wife.