First, congratulations on your upcoming marriage. May Allah bless your union and grant you offspring who are the joy of your eyes. It is wonderful to receive a message such as yours, one which shares good news and which informs us of your efforts to prepare for marriage. It is reassuring to us to hear that you are starting to love more and more the person you will marry very soon in sha’Allah. We make du’aa' to Allah to help you and your future husband to increase in your love for one another.

Second, so much could be said about marriage, but no words can better express reality than the book of Allah and the teachings of our beloved Prophet Muhammad sal allahu alayhi wa sallam. Allah Most High reminds us that:

("And one of His signs is that He created mates for you from yourselves that you may find rest in them, and He put between you love and compassion; most surely there are signs in this for a people who reflect") (Ar-Rum 30: 21).

As you look ahead to your marriage, remember that your future husband is not expected to be an exact copy of you rather he is supposed to complement you. He is supposed to in sha’Allah strengthen you in areas where you are weak and you are supposed to strengthen him in areas where he is weak. Together, you are expected to be sources of tranquility for one another so that your home, your residence reflects that peaceful and serene outlook. Indeed, with every moment that you spend together as husband and wife, you will in sha’allah strengthen the love you have for one another and you will incline towards each other with mercy. There are sure to be days when you upset one another but the best of us are those who incline easily to accepting and admitting fault, to promising improvement and then to actually exerting efforts to improve.

Third, remember to turn to the life of the Prophet Muhammad sal allahu alayhi wa sallam in order to learn how a husband and wife are to conduct themselves. The beloved of Allah sal allahu alayhi wa sallam was very loving, caring, nurturing and yes, romantic in his interaction with his wives. We know that he and Aisha radhi allahu anhuma used to raced with one another. The intimacy he shared with his wives is reflected in their positive appraisals of him, as in one report, saying that his character was like the Qur’an. We learn from Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas radhi allahu anhu, that Allah's messenger said:

"You will be rewarded for whatever you spend for Allah's sake even if it were a morsel which you put in your wife's mouth."  (Bukhari 2 #53). How romantic indeed it would be for a married couple to share a morsel of food!

Finally, you should continue your efforts to learn more about what makes marriages successful in sha’Allah. Make lots of du’aa' to Allah Most High to grant you the wisdom to not only learn more but to practice what you learn. Be sure to share all of what you are learning with your future husband so that in sha’Allah you both can grow together in knowledge. Strong marriages are built ultimately on mutual respect, trust, consultation, and lots and lots of love. We wish you the best with your wedding plans and your actual wedding day.

And Allah knows best.