Striving to guide one’s wife

If one's wife is righteous, this is a blessing indeed, and this is from the Bounty of Allaah. If she is not that righteous, then it is the duty of the head of the household to strive to guide her. Any of the following scenarios may apply:

A man may marry a woman who is not religious in the first place, because he himself is not religious at first, or he may have married her in the hope of guiding her, or under pressure from his relatives, for example. In these cases he must strive hard to guide her.

A man must also realize from the outset that guidance comes from Allaah, and that Allaah is the One Who reforms people. One of His blessings to his slave Zakariya was, as He said (interpretation of the meaning): “… and [We] cured his wife for him…” [al-Anbiya’ 21:90]. This curing or reforming may have been physical or religious. Ibn ‘Abbaas said: “She was barren and could not have children, then she had a child.” ‘Ataa’ said: “She was harsh of tongue, and Allaah reformed her.”

There are various means of guiding or reforming one’s wife, such as:

Paying attention to correcting her worship of Allaah in all its aspects, as will be discussed in detail below.

Striving to strengthen her eemaan, such as:

encouraging her to pray at night (qiyaam al-layl)

encouraging her to read Qur’aan

encouraging her to memorize adhkaar and remember the appropriate times and occasions for saying them

encouraging her to give charity

encouraging her to read useful Islamic books

encouraging her to listen to useful Islamic cassettes that can increase knowledge and strengthen eemaan – and continuing to supply her with them.

choosing good, religious friends for her, with whom she can form ties of sisterhood and have good conversations and purposeful visits.

protecting her from evil and blocking off all avenues for it to reach her, by keeping her away from bad companions and bad places.