There are two kinds of standards...

There are two kinds of standards, qualities, and specifications that should be taken into consideration when selecting a spouse: (a) Those which are the pillars and foundations and definitely required for a prosperous life. (b) Those which are the conditions of attaining completion, and are necessary for the betterment and welfare of life and are mostly relevant and dependent upon the taste, style and the status of a person. Now we consider these standards, criteria and qualities.

First: Religiousness (From The Fundamental And Inevitable Factors) He who does not have religion does not have anything whatever he owns and possesses, he is considered and evaluated as 'nothing'. An irreligious man is actually a 'moving dead body'. The person who is not committed and bound to religion, which is the most real matter of life, there exists no security and guarantee that he would be committed to the rights of his spouse, and be bound to the norms of a shared life.

A religious and pious person cannot go along with an irreligious spouse and have a prosperous and blessed common life. A pious person may possibly tolerate and bear other shortcomings of the spouse, but can never bear and accommodate the irreverence and recklessness of the spouse. Yes, if both of them are without religion and heedless to the laws of religion, it is possible. But their lives would never be successful.

Prosperity is absolutely impossible to achieve without honesty; absolutely impossible to achieve without honesty. Absolutely impossible!! Yes, they might have accepted something as prosperity and consider themselves as prosperous, but this consideration is 'sheer ignorance.' That is to say, they are in fact unfortunate and miserable, but they think they are blessed and successful. Anyhow, a religious and pious person wants a religious spouse.

If one is religious and the other, irreligious and uncommitted, they will not become prosperous. Of course, being religious means being so in the real sense of it. Meaning being absolutely committed to Islam, accepting it from the core of one's heart, and practicing upon it, not the shallow, rootless and feigned religiousness. A reflection of the Prophet's (S) saying: A man came to the Muhammad (S) to seek guidance in connection with the selection of a spouse. He (S) said to him: عليك بذات الدين.