DARUl - ummah
THE FAMILY IN ISLAM - Part 2.
In Islam, considering the well-being of the “other” instead of just the “self” is a virtue so rooted in the religion that it is evident even to
those outside it. The British humanitarian and
civil rights lawyer, Clive Stafford-Smith,
a non-Muslim, stated: “What I like about
Islam is its focus on the group, which is opposite
to the West’s focus
on individuality.”[1]
Individuals comprising any society are tied
together by related group bonds. The strongest
of all societal bonds is that of the family. And
while it can be justifiably argued that the basic
family unit is the foundation of any given human society, this holds particularly true for Muslims. As a matter of fact, the great status that Islam affords to the family system is the very thing that so often attracts many new converts to Islam, particularly women.
“With laws for almost every aspect of life, Islam represents a faith-based order that women may see as crucial to creating healthy families and communities, and correcting the damage done by the popular secular humanism of the past thirty or so years, several experts said. In addition, women from broken homes may be especially attracted to the religion because of the value it places on family, said Marcia Hermansen, a professor of Islamic studies at Loyola University in Chicago and an American who also converted to Islam.”[2]
Nowhere is this trend of a people who value traditional
family values as they embrace Islam more prevalent
than in North America’s Latino or Hispanic community.
As one of Florida’s Muslims observed:
So, what are the particular values or traits of Islamic
family life that so many are finding so appealing?
At a Columbia University Islamic event, Hernan
Guadalupe, an Ecuadorian-American: “spoke of the
cultural similarities and family values inherent to Hispanics and Muslims. Typically, Hispanic households are tight knit and devout, and children are reared in a strict environment - traits that mirror Muslim households.”[3]
And in another recent newspaper report, it was also observed how: “Family values play an integral role in the formation of a Muslim community. Because of those family values, there are a lot of other norms that are consistent within the Hispanic community and Islam; for instance, respect for elders, married life and rearing children, these are some of the traditions Hispanics have in common with Islam.”[4]
From these quotations, one from a non-Muslim intellectual, others from converts and reporters, and some from quite ordinary American women who embraced Islam, we can see that family values in Islam are one of its major attractions. These values stem from God and His guidance, through the Quran and the example and teaching of His Messenger, Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, who indicates the family unit as being one of the mainstays of religion and Islamic the way of life. The importance of forming a family is underscored by a saying of the holy Prophet himself, who said:
“When a man marries, he has fulfilled half of his religion, so let him fear God regarding the remaining half.”[8] (al-Baihaqi)
The two articles that follow will discuss the family in
Islam in the light of the Quran and Prophetic teachings.
Through briefly exploring Islam’s take on the themes
of married life, respect for parents and elders, and the
rearing of children, we can begin to appreciate the
benefits of the family in Islam.
