Love and the Village’s Eyes

Saliim’s Love and the Village’s Eyes

Saliim was not like the other men in his village. He was known for his kindness, his patience, and most of all, his deep love and respect for his wife, Maryam.

Unlike the traditions of the village, where men rarely helped their wives with household chores, Saliim had no problem washing dishes, sweeping the floor, or even cooking meals when Maryam was tired. To him, marriage was a partnership, not a competition for power. He saw no shame in helping his wife.

But the villagers saw things differently.

The Whispers Begin

Maryam was a woman of deep faith. She chose to cover herself modestly, wearing her niqab (face veil) whenever she was around non-mahram men. She never left her home without it, and even when visitors came, she would stay behind a curtain or speak from another room.

At first, people in the village didn’t think much of it. But soon, they began to whisper.

"Why does she never show her face?"

"Why doesn’t she speak to men directly?"

"Maybe Saliim is forcing her to stay hidden!"

The rumors spread quickly. People who had never even spoken to Maryam began to believe she was trapped in her own home, living a life of oppression.

One day, a group of men sat at the village tea shop, discussing Saliim.

"A real man doesn’t do housework," one of them said, shaking his head.

"And a real woman doesn’t hide from the world," another added.

"Maybe he doesn’t let her leave the house at all," someone whispered.

Saliim heard the gossip, but he chose to remain silent. He knew that people would always talk, no matter what he did. Instead, he focused on his wife and their peaceful life together.

The Confrontation

But the whispers didn’t stop. One day, an elder from the village approached him.

"Saliim, my son," the old man said. "We are worried about Maryam. A woman should not live in fear. If you are keeping her locked away, this is not right."

Saliim smiled patiently. "She is not in fear, Sheikh. She is in peace. She covers herself because she chooses to, not because I force her. And as for me helping her—tell me, did our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) not help his wives? Did he not sew his own clothes, cook his own food, and treat his family with kindness?"

The elder fell silent. He could not argue with that.

Still, the villagers were not convinced.

The Test

One evening, a few women from the village decided to visit Maryam. They knocked on her door, unsure of what they would find.

To their surprise, Maryam opened the door with a warm smile. Though her face was covered, her voice was full of kindness.

"As-salamu alaykum, sisters! Please, come in," she said, leading them inside.

Inside, the women expected to find a dark, lonely home. But instead, they found a house full of warmth. The smell of freshly baked bread filled the air. Soft cushions were arranged neatly on the floor. And on the wall hung a beautiful Arabic calligraphy that read:

"وَجَعَلْنَا بَيْنَكُم مَّوَدَّةً وَرَحْمَةً"

"And We have placed between you affection and mercy" (Qur’an 30:21).

Maryam sat with them, serving them tea and sweets. The women were surprised. She did not seem like a woman who was suffering. She laughed, she spoke with wisdom, and she carried herself with confidence.

"We… we thought maybe you were unhappy," one of the women finally admitted.

Maryam chuckled. "Unhappy? Why would I be unhappy?"

"Because you never show your face… and because Saliim does housework," another woman said hesitantly.

Maryam smiled. "Let me tell you something, sisters. A woman’s honor is not in how much of her beauty she shows to the world, but in her modesty and her obedience to Allah. I choose to cover because it makes me feel closer to Him, not because anyone forces me. And as for my husband… he helps me because he loves me, just as I help him. We are a team."

The women looked at each other, their previous thoughts fading away.

That night, when they returned home, they told their husbands what they had seen. Slowly, the rumors about Saliim and Maryam began to disappear.

The Lesson

Saliim and Maryam continued living their lives, unaffected by the opinions of others. They knew that true happiness was not in seeking approval from people, but in seeking the pleasure of Allah.

And though some villagers still whispered from time to time, it no longer mattered. Because in the end, it was not the village’s eyes that mattered—only the eyes of their Creator.

Moral of the Story:

True love in marriage is about mutual respect and support.

A real man is not measured by how much he controls his wife, but by how much he honors and values her.

A woman’s choice to cover is her own, and no one should judge her for it.

People will always talk, but at the end of the day, what matters is seeking the pleasure of Allah.