All praise is due only to Allaah. We laud Him and beseech His

Enliven a dead Sunnat 
Hadhrat Aishah (radhiallahu anha) said that whenever Nabi 
(sallallahu alayhi wasallam) would enter the house, he would 
do so smiling, although he was so grieved for his Ummat. He 
would welcome the caravans, invite them to Islaam, administer 
the affairs of the Muslims, engage in Jihaad, where the sword 
would barely be put down that another expedition was in the 
pipeline, 
etc., 
etc. 
Notwithstanding 
all 
these 
great 
responsibilities, he (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) would still 
come home smiling and with a fresh countenance.
Moulana Hakeem Akhtar Saheb (daamat barakaatuhum) would 
always advise that men come to their wives, smiling. This 
Sunnat is dead nowadays. The man who is without Deen enters 
the home like a 
Fir`oun
, with red eyes and barking out orders 
trying to exert his authority. Instead of smiling and putting on a 
pleasant face, he strikes fear in the home, asking and 
questioning, 
“Is this done?”, “What happened to that?”, “Why 
was this not done?”
, etc., etc. 
Such an attitude is contrary to the Sunnat and bodes ill for 
family peace. We should all try to inculcate the beautiful 
Sunnat practice into our homes and lighten to mood in the 
home. 
To fulfil this right is more rewarding in present times than 
performing Nafl ibaadat. Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said 
that the best person is he whose character is pleasant with his 
wife. In another Hadith the words appear such: 
“Indeed from 
amongst the perfection of Imaan of believers, is (to have) good 
character and kindness (gentleness) towards the families (wives 
and children).”
[Mishkaat, page 282] 
104
Amongst our friends we can laugh and joke around, but when 
in the presence of the wife, we adopt a stern and harsh 
character.
The poor wife toils the entire day and waits for her husband, 
only to have him return home as a lion, roaring or as a 
‘buzrug’
who remains quiet and hushed. In the public eye the man is 
‘everybody’s hero’ and jovial to all and sundry, but at home he 
is the opposite. Where no one can see him (at home) he adopts 
a stern attitude, but in the market place, his shop, in the Musjid, 
etc. he puts a pleasant countenance.
To adopt a ‘pious’ attitude at home, where you don’t smile or 
jest with your wife, perform long, long Rakaats of Nafl at night, 
engage in Thikr and Tilaawat, without spending quality time or 
speaking nicely to your family and even separating your bed 
from your wife is not the attitude and Sunnat of the Sahaabah 
(radhiallahu anhum). 
To feed her a morsel of food with your hands, or to buy her a 
gift to make her happy are acts which warrant reward. We 
should bring such practices alive.