BismIllah wa as salaamu alaykum.
Late last night I could not sleep. My mind was filled with different ideas and issues. Then, in thinking of marriages in Islam I was reminded of The Three Little Pigs. Ironic, I know. Pigs are hardly our animal of the week. However, it was their choice of houses that was in my mind.
When we build relationships and structure our lives around someone who is away from Islam, we are living in a house made of straw. We surround ourselves with something that has no weight with Allah, no substance. The person doesn't gain the rewards for their actions because they aren't done for the sake of Allah, subhaana wa taala. Hence, their house has no permanence and is easily blown away by shaytaan, the big, bad wolf.
When we build relationships and structure our lives around someone who is a hypocrite, we are living in a house made of sticks. It has some substance, but the hypocrisy makes it intrisically weak. They know the truth, but they do not practice it and so their house has the strength of the truth but is still blown away by the big, bad wolf.
However, when we build relationships and structure our lives around someone who puts Islam first and bases their whole life and dealings around Allah's Guidance and the example of the Prophet Muhammad, salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam, they are living in a house made of strong bricks. The house has substance and weight with Allah. They are a support to each other and have the security and protection of their Creator. They are metaphorical bricks in the wall for each other. They have the defense against the big, bad wolf.
So many of us, at some stage of our life, built our houses out of straw or sticks. But their easy destruction guides us to appreciate all the beauty and security that a house made of bricks offers. May Allah, subhaana wa taala, guide us all to houses made of bricks in this life and beautiful palaces in Jennah al Firdous - ameen.