The Pious Woman (Al-Mar’atus Salihah)

The Pious Woman (Al-Mar’atus Salihah), compiled by Majlisul Ulama of South Africa, is a short Islamic guide offering religious advice to Muslim women, particularly wives. It focuses on personal piety, conduct, marriage and family life.

The book presents a traditional, conservative understanding of a wife’s role, emphasising patience, respect for her husband and responsibilities within the home. It also describes wives as a sacred trust and stresses that husbands are accountable to Allah for cruelty or abuse. Readers should understand it as the compilers’ religious guidance rather than a comprehensive account of all Islamic perspectives on women and marriage.