Family Laws

Assignment #2

Q. Describe the Family System introduced by Islam.

Islam has always placed a lot of significance on the Family system and one can notice this emphasis
in both the Quranic teachings and the Sunnah and Hadith of the Holy Prophet. Allah says, “Fear your
Lord, who created you from a single soul. He created its mate from it and from the two of them spread
countless men and women [throughout the earth].” The Family System basically refers to the
intricacies of an Islamic household and the dealings between its members. Islam not only encourages
the building of a family i.e., the marriage between a man and a woman and then their potential
offspring but also expects the family to adhere to the rules and guidelines set out by Allah. Since a
family is considered to be the very foundation of society, these instructions mainly revolve around
certain codes of conduct that need to be followed in order to ensure that benefit is brought to the
community.

A standard can be set with regards to an ideal family that others in the society can look up to and learn
from. A good Islamic household begins with its spouses and the cordiality between them. Islam has
laid down the rules and obligations that each of the two spouses have on each other. For a husband, it
is important that he offer his wife good companionship in terms of treating her with kindness and
respect. Allah says, “And live with them in kindness. For if you dislike them - perhaps you dislike a
thing and Allah makes therein much good.” Similarly, since Allah has convened man to be the
upholder of a household, the husband must ensure that he provides fully for his wife. This not only
includes ample food, drink, clothing and a good shelter but also dowry which is to be given either
upon marriage, separation or death. Additionally, the family guardian must safeguard his household
from external dangers, degrading morals and from anything that undermines or threatens its honour.
In contrast, for a wife, it is essential that she is chaste and not only has good moral values but is also
high of character. Similarly, she must exercise obedience towards her husband as long as what he asks
of her is within the boundaries set by Islam. This concept is reiterated in the following Hadith, “If a
woman prays her five (daily prayers), fasts her month (Ramadan), guards her chastity and obeys her
husband, it will be said to her: ‘Enter Paradise from whichever of the gates of Paradise you wish.” In
addition, since a wife is entrusted to run the household, she must ensure that she does it with
righteousness and to the best of her abilities. However, it is also important to remember that running
the affairs of the household is not an obligation on the woman rather it is a favor by her and
something she should do from her own will. Furthermore, a wife must ensure that while working on
her internal self, she must also work on her external appearance. The same is applicable to the
husband who must always try to look his best for his wife.
Small acts like these, when acted upon, ensure that the spouses remain close and the understanding
between them doesn’t dwindle. Also, since a family is considered to be a single joint entity between
the spouses, these acts ensure that the couple can nurtures their child with ease and ensure that he or
she is not only virtuous but also a good addition to the society. As parents, the mother and father have
different responsibilities as laid down by Allah and the Prophet’s Hadith and Sunnah. These
responsibilities start from the moment the fetus begins to develop in the womb. Acts like abortion are
prohibited with the exception of extreme cases like the mother’s health being in danger. When the
child is born, there are certain rituals that need to be carried out like the giving of Azaan in the ear, the
Aqiqah and the circumcision of the male child. As far as the duties are concerned, it is essential that
the parents give their child a homely environment and treat him or her with compassion and kindness
since these very dealings will later shape who he or she grow up to become. Similarly, since children
always look up to either their mother or father for inspiration, the parents must be good role models
that is they must exercise good habits within the household so that ultimately, their children practice
those habits as well. Furthermore, it is the responsibility of both the parents to involve their children
in formal as well as Islamic education. Parents must make sure that their children are well versed in
the Quranic teachings from an early age as well as Islamic practices like Namaz. This will ensure that
the children grow up to be righteous Muslims and not stray from the right moral path. The Prophet
said, “When a man dies, his deeds come to an end but for three, a recurring charity, knowledge (by
which people) benefit, or a pious son who prays for him (for the deceased).” This Hadith highlights
how vital it is to groom one’s children according to Islamic principles since one’s offspring is all that
a man leaves behind after he passes away. Essentially, good and pious offspring is the fruit or the
sadqah jariya that parents reap after years of effort and consistency and it is the one thing that aids
them the most in the Hereafter.
While parents do play a huge part throughout the life of their children, yet at a certain eligible age,
there are certain rights of both the mother and father that must be fulfilled by the child. First and
foremost, it is a child’s duty to be respectful towards his or her parents. This respect extends to
complete obedience and thankfulness for all that they’ve been able to do for you. Allah says, “Your
Lord has commanded that you should worship none but Him, and show kindness to your parents.
Whether one or both of them reach old age while with you, say not to them [so much as], “uff,” and
do not rebuke them, but always speak gently to them.” This verse further elaborates the concept by
putting the worship of God and respect towards parents’ side by side. Similarly, it is essential that one
show gratitude to their parents. This gratitude comes from a deep understanding of all that one’s
parents have been through to raise another human being. A mother is given more priority over the
father in this case because of what she went through during her pregnancy, child birth, breastfeeding,
child-care, education, putting her child above all her personal needs and comfort, staying up at night
to tend for him. Allah says, “We have enjoined on man kindness to his parents: his mother bore him,
in pain and in pain she gave birth to him, and his bearing and weaning takes thirty months...”.
In contrast, parents also exercise rights over their children even after they have passed away. There
are some practices that children can indulge in to ensure that the Hereafter is made easier for their
parents. These include making dua for their forgiveness, indulging in good things and staying true to
their upbringing so that the reward can go to them, keeping up contact with their friends and familial
relations etc. Abu-Burda narrated, “I came to Madinah and Abdullah Ibn Omar came to me and said,
‘Do you know why I came to you?’ I said, ‘No!’ So, he said, ‘I heard the Prophet of Allah (SAWS)
saying, ‘He who wants to connect with his father in his grave then let him connect with the friends of
his father after his death.’ My father Omar and your father had much brotherhood and love for each
other so I wanted to connect with that.”

In a nutshell, it can be deduced that good and moral familial relations are the backbones of any
leading society. Allah is All Encompassing and the Most Wise and there is a reason why he has
encouraged Muslims and all of mankind to not only indulge in family ties but also to invest fully in it
within the parameters of Islamic teachings. This will not only aid in creating a righteous society as
ethical and devout manners and dealings will be practiced on a larger scale but will also in turn allow
more people to see Islam in its truest light.