Did you know? (Inspirational Islamic Stories)

Achieving Balance between family and religion

We live in an era in which the nature, function, and structure of the family have been thrown into question. Many, for example, would consider an unmarried couple, a single mother, and homosexual couples as equally legitimate expressions of the family unit. Islam takes a more conservative stance, arguing that the family is a divinely inspired institution, with marriage at its core.

One of the most striking features of Muslim society is the importance attached to the family. The family unit is regarded as the cornerstone of a healthy and balanced society.

The Qur'an is full of wonderful stories that revolve around fatherhood. It is probably one of the most overlooked thematic messages in the Qur'an. Repeatedly, Allah bears witness to prophets who are recognized as great fathers.

Chapter four of the Qur'an (an-Nisaa) tells us how humanity sprung forth from the first prophet and father, Adam, and the womb of our mother, Hawwa (Eve).

Prophet Nuh AS (Noah) pleaded with his son to believe in the oneness of God before calamity hit.

Prophet Lut AS (Lot) valiantly protected his children from the surrounding lewdness and temptation in his community.

Prophet Yaqub AS (Jacob) dealt with the heartbreaking abduction of his young son, Yusuf (Joseph) by his older brothers.

Then there was the epic du'a of the father of the Abrahamaic faiths, Ibrahim (AS),as he took upon the task of building the Ka'abah with his wonderful son,  Ismail as. By way that Allah had commanded the dynamic father and son duo to build the Ka'abah is testament to how important the role of the father is in Islam.

After all, Allah (SWT) could have commanded Ibrahim to build the House of Allah on his own, but he had a little helper, an assistant, and the final prophet, Muhammad SAWS, came from the direct lineage of Ismail.

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

Prophet Muhammad himself was the ultimate family man of all times.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) sternly advised his followers:

"The best of you is he who is best to his family and I am the best among you to my family" (Tirmidhi). Q be

By saying this, he reminded the ummah (Muslim community) to emulate his behavior when dealing with their own families.

The cornerstone of a strong Muslim ummah lies within the family unit. Many problems that arise today is really due to the disrupted relationship between spouses, between parent and child, and even between siblings. In addition, this could be very well a function of poor leadership by the father, although there are always other factors involved.

If all, or a majority of family units were held on sturdy grounds, then members of the same would have better outward relations with others, whether they are neighbors, co-workers, classmates, and other families in the community in general. So, it is no wonder that the Prophet (PBUH) took time to remind us of the importance of leadership within a family.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) embodied the importance of a strong family unit in his own family life. He loved his first wife Khadijah so much that even years after her passing he kept good relations with her family. The Prophet's young wife Aisha felt the devotion he had toward Khadijah even though she passed away years before her own marriage to prophet Muhammad.