🤍 Character & conduct between spouses · #194
I find it easier to smile at strangers than at my own spouse. How do I change this?
The person with the greatest right to your pleasant face is your spouse at home, not people you rarely meet. This is common because we feel safe letting out our tiredness at home, but it is our spouse who bears it. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Your smile in the face of your brother is charity” (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 1956), and a spouse even more so. Start with one habit: give a smile and a salam when you meet after being apart, even briefly. Notice and correct yourself each time you slip. Over time, a pleasant face at home becomes natural. See everyday adab.
Sources
Jami' at-Tirmidhi 1956 (hasan)