The Sweet Taste of Marriage

The Miracle of Marital Intimacy and the Seedling of Life’s Sweet Fruit: The Etiquette of the Bridal Chamber, Care in Marital Relations, and the Secrets of Pregnancy and Raising a Newborn

Introduction and the Need for This Work

The Taste of the Sweetness of Marriage is the third volume in a five-book series of practical guides for families, drawn from the reference work The University of Marriage. Under the additional titles The Miracle of Marital Intimacy and The Seedling of Life’s Sweet Fruit, this work opens a new window onto the subtleties of the marital bond, offering clear and engaging guidance on how to savour the true sweetness of married life and nurture a pure and righteous generation.

Approach and Methodology

Bringing together the principles of health and wellbeing with the jurisprudence, ethics, and spirituality of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS), the author takes readers step by step from the couple’s first hours of privacy to the joyful moment of holding their newborn, documenting the spiritual, timing, and nutritional care needed at every stage.

Key Themes

• Understanding the leap in perception that follows marriage and growing into the station of the “superman and superwoman” of devotion
• Guidance on the religious, health-related, and emotional etiquette of marital relations, and transforming the bridal chamber into a sanctuary of remembrance and gratitude
• Recognising the pitfalls and harms that can affect companionship between spouses, and ways to protect the sacred boundaries of family life
• Supplications, remembrances, and spiritual practices during pregnancy to illuminate the souls of mother and child
• Learning how to welcome a newborn, the remarkable rewards of motherhood, and the fundamental principles of breastfeeding and health

Intended Readers

Young couples preparing to begin married life; spouses hoping to have a righteous child; expectant mothers; and family health advisers.

Contents and Chapter Headings

1. Introduction: An introduction to the third volume in the Family Book Series and the miracle of marital intimacy
2. Part One: The Beginning of Married Life, the Beginning of a New Education (the birth of a new perception, a covenant with God, and the etiquette of the wedding night)
3. Part Two: Special Care for Marital Companionship (sacred boundaries, spiritual and physical wellbeing, and preventing harm)
4. Part Three: Supplication, Mindfulness, and Special Guidance for Seeking a Child (the mysteries of conception and the mother’s emotional wellbeing during pregnancy)
5. Part Four: Welcoming a Newborn and Nurturing the Seedling of Life (the heavenly rewards of motherhood, the etiquette of welcoming a baby, breastfeeding, and naming)

Golden Passages from the Book

An Analogy for Vision and a New Perception of Married Life
“When a man and woman begin their life together, they celebrate their own rebirth. Imagine someone born blind suddenly gaining sight: what a marvellous change would take place in their perception! Through marital intimacy, too, a woman and a man come to experience and understand life in a way that would be impossible without one another.” (p. 7)

The Bridal Chamber: A Sanctuary of Worship and Gratitude
“The wedding night is when the gates of divine generosity are opened. When a believing woman enters the home, the door to God’s special mercy opens for everyone in the household. Make the bridal chamber a sanctuary of worship, presence of heart, and devotion to God.” (p. 21)

Beyond Pleasure: Rising to Become a Superman and Superwoman
“Just as eating and drinking are not merely for pleasure but are essential to sustaining life, marital relations are not simply a matter of physical gratification; they are also a special course in spiritual growth, in which husband and wife can become a superman and superwoman of faith through married life.” (p. 8)

The Utmost Secret and Sacred Space of Spouses
“One of the most deeply private and sacred spaces is the couple’s intimate time together—a space so pure that ablution and remembrance of God suffuse it with a heavenly fragrance. Any neglect or carelessness can let temptation find its way into this pure garden.” (p. 35)

The Parents’ Purity and the Child’s Destiny
“A child’s wellbeing and purity are directly connected to the sanctity of the parents’ conduct and the sincerity of their hearts. A child is the seedling and sweet fruit of the garden of marriage, nurtured by the clear water of piety, lawful provision, and affection.” (p. 42)

The Remarkable Rewards of Motherhood and Breastfeeding
“The Noble Prophet (PBUH) said: ‘A pregnant woman is like one who fasts, keeps vigil in prayer, and strives in God’s cause with her life and wealth. The reward for giving birth is so immense that it cannot be grasped; and with every suck of her child, she is granted the reward of freeing a person in God’s cause.’” (p. 58)