Date Night, yes it's Sassy Saturday

As Salaamu Alaikunna and good morning, it's date night again. Time once again to focus on President and Vice President of the cooperation. It's time once again to remember our marriages and work on keeping them fresh.

Marriage: Purpose and Obligation

Definition of Marriage

Nikah is an Arabic term used for marriage. It means "contract". ("Aqd in Arabic). The Quran specifically refers to marriage as "mithaqun Ghalithun,". Which means "a strong covenant".

"and they have taken a strong pledge (Mithaqun Ghalithun) from you?" (Quran 4:21)

The seriousness of this covenant becomes obvious when one finds the same term i.e., Mithaqun Ghalithun, being used for the covenant made between Allah and the Prophet before granting them the responsibility of the Prophethood. (Quran 33:7)
The Quran also uses the Arabic word "Hisn", suggesting "fortress" for marriage. Marriage is considered the fortress of chastity.

The Purpose of Marriage

As a meaningful institution, marriage has two main purposes:
To ensure preservation of the human species and continuation of the human race,

"O mankind! Be careful of your duty to your Lord, Who created you from a single soul and from it created its mate and from them has spread abroad a multitude of men and women" (Quran: 4:1)

To provide spiritual and legal foundation of the family

"And of His signs is this: He created for you mates from yourself that you might find rest in them, and He ordained between you love and mercy. Lo, therein indeed are portents for folk who reflect". (Quran 30:21)

Through Marriage, the conjugal relationship between a man and a woman becomes lawful. It provides a legitimate outlet for recreation as well as procreation. Islam regards sex as natural and good, but restricts it to the partners of marriage so as to ensure the responsibility for its consequences.

"Your women are a tilth for you so go to your tilth as you will, and send (good deeds) before you for your souls, and fear Allah, and know that you will (one day) meet him. Give glad tidings to believers, (O Muhammad)." (Quran 2:223)

Marriage provides spiritual, physical, emotional and psychological companionship. This companionship generates and sustains love, kindness, compassion, mutual confidence, solace and succor (sakinah). It lays a spiritual and legal foundation for raising a family. The children born of the matrimonial union become legitimate and mutual rights of inheritance are established.

Marriage: A Religious Requirement

Marriage in Islam is a recommended as a religious requirement.

"Marry those among you who are single and (marry) your slaves, male and female, that are righteous" (Quran 24:32)

Prophet Muhammad (S) declared:

"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". (Mishkat)

Marriage has also been commended as the way of the prophets.

"We indeed sent messengers before you (O Muhammad), and We assigned them wives and children" (Quran 13:38)

Marriage, in fact, is specifically considered the tradition (sunnah) of Prophet Muhammad (S) when he declared:

"Marriage is my Sunnah, whoever disregards my (sunnah) path is not from among us". (ibn Majah)

Islam discourages celibacy and encourages marriage, as Prophet Muhammad (S) recommended:

"Whoever is able to marry, should marry". (Bukhari)

[Source: Marriage and Family in Islam]

Islam places great emphasis on marriage and family life and that is why I come to you every Saturday with a reminder to put your marriage first, to make it the center of your family this structure is so important. The husband and wife must have harmony between themselves and the children benefit from seeing mom and dad loving each other. It teaches our sons how they should be as husbands and our daughters how they should be as wives and how their husbands should be treating them. So today I have a few ideas on how we can best celebrate our marriages today and I would also like you all to comment on some ideas that you may have. Please share with us all your views and ideas for keeping your marriage strong.

Outdoor Date Ideas

Go for a bike ride in your neighborhood—maybe find a tandem bicycle to borrow or rent.

Go on a picnic, but choose somewhere extremely random--like on your roof ( Make sure you have a flat roof) hehehe

Go fishing    

Hike to see waterfalls or wildflowers

Go boating

Indoor Date Ideas

Make a homemade pizza together then sit down for a candle light dinner with some nice Italian bread and freshly made tossed salad.

Play Board games like Scrabble, Candy Land and Sorry

Set up a tent in your front room, sit in the tent and eat dinner on a blanket--build a fake fire, or roast halal marshmallows over a candle

Romantic Date Ideas
okay you guys take the kiddies out of the room this is just between us ladies.

Let Him Indulge after you dinner allow him to run you a bath or you run him a bath and after the bath how about a nice massage.

Do some star gazing together, when it gets dark out. Grab a blanket and sit in your yard or sit out on your deck or patio or whatever outdoor space you have and enjoy the night time sky.

Make the world's largest ice cream sundae together and have fun feeding each other this fun sticky treat. Be creative with this one, and do a blindfold taste test challenge. See where it leads you.

Ladies whatever you like to do or decide to do, just do it and keep that marriage happy and healthy for the pleasure of Allah and for the stability of your family. "Enjoy your marriages and enjoy your day"