Jay Leno has nothing but love and admiration for his wife of 44 years, Mavis Leno.
On May 14, the comedian and Mavis attended the Feminist Majority Foundation’s 16th Annual Global Women’s Rights Awards Gala, where they presented an award named in Mavis' honor. During his speech, Jay, 74, fought back tears as he reflected on their enduring marriage.
According to Fox News, Jay described marrying Mavis, 77, as the “smartest thing I’ve ever done,” recalling the early days of their relationship and the “fire” he saw in her from the beginning.
“This is going to be a fascinating relationship,” he remembered thinking. “And it has been.”
The former Tonight Show host shared that he and Mavis “have a lot of fun” together. “People say marriage is difficult. I don't get it. I enjoy her company. I enjoy taking care of her. We have fun. She's the most independent woman I ever knew. Again, I just couldn't be prouder of her."
Earlier in the evening, he told reporters on the red carpet that he and Mavis “do everything together” and that marriage “gets easier” with time.
“I go home every night, make dinner, and sit around. We enjoy each other's company," he said.
This event marked the couple’s third public appearance since Jay filed for conservatorship over his wife in January due to her "advanced dementia" diagnosis.
Previously, they were seen in L.A. on April 30, just days after Jay's 74th birthday, at the premiere of Netflix's Unfrosted, smiling together on the red carpet. Before that, Mavis attended Jay's stand-up show at the Hollywood Improv comedy club in early April.
On April 9, Jay was officially granted conservatorship of Mavis during a hearing at L.A. County Superior Court, which PEOPLE attended. Mavis' lawyer stated that she agreed with the conservatorship and was "receiving excellent care with her husband, Mr. Leno."
The judge confirmed that Mavis is in "the least restrictive environment" and in "very good care with Mr. Leno," deeming him "fit" to serve as her conservator.
Jay has shared memories of the early days of their relationship, which began after a performance at the iconic Comedy Store in the '70s.
"Not screwing around is a huge key. You can leave your underwear on the doorknob for the rest of your life if you don't screw around," he said with a laugh.
He added earnestly, "I always tell guys when they meet a woman, 'Marry your conscience. Marry someone who's the person you wish you could be and it works out okay.'"
The Quran - Chapter Adh-Dhariyat : 56
I did not create jinn and humans except to worship Me.
The Purpose of Jinn's and Mankind's creation
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ (And I did not create the Jinns and the human beings except that they should worship Me."...51:56).
This apparently may raise two questions:
[ 1] If Allah has created a creature for a particular task, and it is His will that it should perform that task, rationally it is impossible for it to deviate from that task, because doing anything contrary to the will of Allah is inconceivable.
[ 2] The purpose of jinn's and man's creation has been restricted to the worship of Allah whereas there are many other underlying reasons and benefits in their creation.
Scholars have made different approaches to solve these problems. Some say that this verse pertains to the believers only, that is, only believing jinn and believing mankind are created for worship and for no other task.
It is obvious that the believers are more or less steadfast to worship.
This is the view of Dahhak, Sufyan Thawri and others. According to one version of Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ ، the word mu'minin does occur in the verse thus: وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ مِنَ المُؤمِنِینَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ And I have not created the believing jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me'.
This version supports the view that the verse is only in connection with the believers.
Another answer to the question, given by Moulana Ashraf ` Ali Thanawi (رح) is that: Allah has commanded all to worship, but at the same time He has equipped them with free will.
Some of them exercised their God-given free will correctly and chose to worship Him, but others used their God-given free will incorrectly and deviated from worshipping Him.
This is what Sayyidna Ali ؓ has said, as quoted by Baghawi. Tafsir Mazhari gives a plain and simple explication of this verse: Allah has equipped every jinn and man with the innate capacity to worship.
Some use the capacity rightly and succeed, while others employ it wrongly in sinning and fulfilling their base emotions, and thus destroy it. The Messenger ﷺ is reported to have said:
کُلُّ مَولُودِ یُّولَدُ عَلَی الفِطرَۃِ فَاَبَوَاہُ یُھَوِّدَانِہٖ اَو یُمَجِّسَانِہٖ
"Every child is born according to the fitrah but his parents [ cause him to deviate from the unadulterated propensity ] and turn him into a Jew or a Christian or a Magian."
According to the majority of the scholars, fitrah here refers to the religion of Islam. Just as this Tradition tells us that every man is born with the natural capacity for Islam and true faith, but his parents adulterate and destroy that capacity, and put him on to the ways of disbelief, in the same way the phrase 'except that they should worship Me' could mean that every member of jinn and mankind has the natural, inborn capacity to worship. Allah, the Pure and Exalted, knows best.
Answer to the second question is that bringing any creation into being for the purpose of worship does not necessarily imply that they are unfit for other functions of life.
