Dawud al-Fatani’s Thoughts on Marriage in Īḍāḥu l-Bāb li-Murīdi l-Nikāḥ bi-l-Ṣawāb

Abstract

This paper examines Sheikh Dawud al-Fatani’s Īḍāḥu l-bāb li-murīdi l-nikāḥ bi-l-ṣawāb (“Explanation of the chapter for the one who desires a good marriage”), which outlines his understanding and mastery of the jurisprudence of Islamic family law. Al-Fatani is a renowned nineteenth-century Malay Muslim scholar, and his work is widely referred to in Islamic education institutions in the region. A close scrutiny of Īḍāḥu l-bāb offers a profound understanding of nineteenth-century Malay Muslims’ view of the institution of marriage. The foci of this paper include the general concept of marriage in Islam; guidelines on spouse selection; the obligations of both husband and wife; and the law on inter-religious marriage. In summary, al-Fatani shows that marriage requires a meticulous consideration of all parties involved; after all, family is a paramount social unit that needs to be preserved to ensure stability in the development of a society.