In our society, the divorce rate among young married couples has increased. While there are several reasons for this, one major cause is not understanding that the relationship between a husband and wife is not based on friendship and equality, but rather on love and harmony.
The fundamental difference between a marital relationship and a friendship is that a person chooses friends according to their own preferences. It is impossible for two individuals to have completely identical tastes. However, in a friendship, this reality does not pose an issue because a person spends time with their friends as they wish and according to their mood, and can leave for home whenever they like.
On the other hand, a husband and wife live together in the same home at all times. As a result, all the differences in their tastes, habits, behavior, and thinking come to light. In such a situation, the only way to maintain harmony is for both parties to make some adjustments. These adjustments cannot be made on the basis of exact equality or fairness in a fifty-fifty ratio. Realistic individuals understand that in the first five to seven years of marriage, it is usually the wife who adjusts more or less, while for the rest of their lives, it is usually the husband who does so to some extent.
This adjustment or harmony is not based on equality, but on love. Friendship, on the other hand, always demands equality. If equality is not possible, the friendship ends. However, the end of a friendship does not matter as much, because one can find other friends. Whereas, the separation of a husband and wife means the breaking of a home and the destruction of children. That is why a husband and wife should live their lives not on the principle of equality and friendship, but on the principle of love and harmony.
Translated by Taqi Ahmed