Living The Quran
From Issue: 934 [Read full issue]
Encountering God's Love
Al-Rum (The Romans) Sura 30: Verse 21
"And among His signs is that He created mates for you from among yourselves, that you might find rest in them, and He established affection and mercy between you. Truly in that are signs for a people who reflect."
That God made for human beings mates from among yourselves is also understood to mean "from yourselves" when seen as an allusion to the creation of Eve from Adam's rib, though some commentators are skeptical of this association, feeling it relies too heavily on the Biblical tradition. A direct account of Eve's creation is not found in the Quran, only in the ?adith literature. Although many understand the present verse as an address to men, telling them of the benefits to be found in their wives, viewed in a broader Quranic context, especially in relation to those verses that state that God created human beings from a single soul and its mate from that same soul, it is most likely an address to both men and women, telling of the manner in which God has extended His own Love and Mercy to them through the love and mercy that they manifest toward one another. In this sense, the purpose of marriage is not limited to producing children; it also represents a spiritual good in and of itself and a means by which men and women can encounter God's Love and Mercy in each other.
Compiled From:
"The Study Quran: A New Translation and Commentary" - Seyyed Hossein Nasr