Therefore Allah rewards a martyr (who sacrificed his mortal...

Therefore Allah rewards a martyr (who sacrificed his mortal life) with an immortal and ever-lasting life under His Mercy. That is why the martyrs are assured of Paradise. By the way, if a martyr has some obligations towards other men which he had not fulfilled, Allah will arrange to repay those persons on the Day of judgement. Q. 99: What is the purpose of marriage? A.

Purpose of Marriage : The institution of marriage has 3 aims, which taken together constitute the purpose of marriage : (a) Satisfying the natural urge of physical love and sex. (b) Procreation which ensures the continuity of mankind. (c) Establishment of a family unit which ensures that the children born as a result of (a) and (b) above receive the love, protection and care which is essential to make them useful and normal human beings.

Sexual desire can be satisfied without marriage, but it lacks the other two (and especially the 3rd) benefits. It should be observed in passing that those religions which try to curb this natural urge are trying to say (by deeds, not by words) that the Creator made a mistake in creating this natural desire. They fail to realize that if all human beings responded to their call of celibacy humanity will be extinct within a short period.

Such teaching cannot take humanity forward because of the simple reason that they tend to be against the continuity of humanity. Q100: The Islamic religion allows polygamy and not polyandry. Explain briefly why a man is allowed polygamy and a woman forbidden polyandry instead of both of them forbidden. A. 'Light1 Vol. Ill, No. 6 will show the wisdom of permission of polygamy.

As for polyandry, here is an episode which answers your question fully :- Once some women came to Hadhrat Ali (A.S.) with the same question. Hadhrat Ali (A.S.) told them to bring water in cups. When they came back with the cups full of water, he ordered them to put the water in a basin. Then he told them to take out their water, but each one should take out the same water which she had put in. They protested that it was impossible as the water had been mixed.

Hadhrat Ali (A.S.) said that it was for the same reason that a woman was not allowed to marry more than one husband at a time, because there would be no way to know who her child belonged to, and who was to be responsible for that child's upbringing. Q101: Can a Muslim man be a husband of many wives - and if so how many at least? A. This question is on the subject of "Polygamy".