Foreword SOCIAL ETHICS AND INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE IN THE CONTESTATION OF PUBLIC SPHERE IN INDONESIA
kind of honesty, according to a hadith, brings forth righteousness which will in turn bring one’s self to heaven.
Thirdly, fairness. Marriage must be conducted in fairness in the meaning that proportional and non-discriminative treatment be given to
all parties involved. Without fairness a marriage can turn into oppression which would horribly burden the parties who are victim to it. Regarding
fairness, al-Qur’an states that fairness is a good deed that is closest to piety and it is commanded to be upheld by anyone al-Maidah, 5:8,
both in government an-Nisa’, 4:58 and in family an-Nisa’, 4:3. Thus the book commands that fairness be a basis for the relationship of man-
woman in public and domestic domain. Fourthly, affection. Marriage must be carried out with affection in its
meaning to bring happiness, particularly for the bride and groom who will undertake it. In regards to affection, al-Qur’an affirms that God
obligates Himself to bear the character rahma, love affection al-An’am, 6:12 this character is the core or basis of all His characters, asma and
actions. This character is actualized in the name Rahman which shows His unlimited love and affection as well as the name Rahim which
shows that as a quality Rahman is always affixed to and unattached from Him not even for a blink of an eye. Rasulullah advised Moslems to bear
good characters as God does. This means that they must possess love and affection as a basic character in which all characters and actions are
rooted upon. Consequently, it is affirmed in another hadith that the love and affection bore by man will afford him God’s love and affection.
Fifthly, brotherhood. Marriage must be conducted under the principle of brotherhood by not prioritizing loss and gain conducted in
business. Regarding brotherhood al-Qur’an stipulates that man is of one nation al-Baqarah, 2:213. This verse shows man’s nature as a social
being, where in they are mutually in need of each other. Their life necessities vary and differ. Hence in order to avoid collisions and
deviations, they are directed to help one another in righteousness and
piety and to avoid helping one another in sin and rancour al-Maidah, 5:2. Concerning this issue, al-Qur’an does not portray woman as a
tempter of faith fitnah who can obstruct the achievement of piety. Al- Qur’an does not lay blame on woman Hawa as the cause of man’s
dramatic cosmic fall to earth al-Baqarah, 2:36. Indeed there are stories of women tempting men found in the Holy Book, such as a prominent
Egyptian’s wife effort in tempting Joseph, but there is also the story of the Pharaoh’s pious wife and Jethro’s bashful daughter.