Is this true? I want to maintain a proper level of jealousy, but I do not want to tell my wife what to do as if I were her father. It is a positive trait, especially in a man in regards to his female family members. The relationship between the sexes is as old as mankind itself, for it was in the Gardens of Paradise that man and woman were forged to co-exist in intimate harmony. We were made and placed on earth in pairs of male and female, and the thrust and success of every pious community is the conservative preservation of this union and keeping away from anything that will break it down.
One of the key attributes in preserving the marital bond of men and women is the presence of ghayra. To be a protector or guardian over someone necessarily demands a strong sense of responsibility, and is associated with the qualities of honor, dignity, and correct moral conduct. This not only applies to oneself but also the honor and respect of others, as its presence provides limits and boundaries between right and wrong, particularly in regard to human interactions and relationships.
The most important of these is the relationship between man and woman. We mentioned that having ghayra places limits and boundaries between what is right and wrong, upholding moral conduct and self-respect. The chief reason given for this was because husbands spent extended periods abroad in the middle east to work and earn better wages. Lest it is misconstrued, this is not meant in any way as a form of patronizing women or a tool for gender oppression, and nor should it be used by men to do as such, but rather, it is an attribute that should stem from earnest solicitude and care.
And the example of ghayra in the heart is the example of the strength that shields one from sickness and fights it off, so if the strength leaves, he will be faced with the sickness, and will not find anything to protect himself from it, so it will establish itself [within him] and destroy him.
It is because of His protective jealousy that Allah forbade immoral deeds, both open and secret. What we are referring to is a dignified and rational sense of honor and chivalry, based on sound religious values, which enables a person to ensure that the moral limits of the religion are not transgressed.
