Secrets to Successful Marriage

Reviewed by: Imran Mogra, Birmingham, UK

Published by: London: Ta-Ha Publishers Ltd, 2023, 128pp. ISBN: 978-182002056.

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Afshan Khan shares here the benefits accumulated over thirty-five years of experience and wisdom. Her services centre around marital issues, family disputes, teenage problems, domestic violence and mediation. The author admits she does not issue fatwas (legal rulings) or advice on matters of fiqh (jurisprudence). Nevertheless, through her own study and consultations with scholars, she has included some basic Islamic advice. She has drawn on stark statistics of the divorce rate among Muslims and calls on the community to safeguard and protect the family unit.

This book includes four unequal chapters. Chapter 1 is about searching for a partner. It emphasises the pre-marriage stage which is a crucial period whereby those intending to get married need to be honest and sincere, and know what they want out of their marriage. The author offers wise words about the kinds of expectations to have and the significance of considering physical attraction, which is often shied away from.