The Compassionate Family

Description

In Islam, marriage and the formation of a family is regarded as one of the most important objectives for a person to achieve. This importance is demonstrated through the judicial and moral teachings of Islam, which guide us through an array of family issues in order to cater for our spiritual and physical needs. Today, we live in a world where secularism, individualism and materialism have been aggressively pushed at the human consciousness such that family values are being undermined and eroded. This has resulted in moral decay and other harmful outcomes that prevent the attainment of long-term happiness and stability. Although neglecting family values can allow for a short-lived material fulfilment for some people, the collective prosperity of society cannot be possible without special attention to the family. This book is our humble contribution to this important subject. It is a collection of advice and antidotes provided by Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei, a theologian, jurist and statesman who holds the post of being the foremost Islamic authority and head of state of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Despite all his engagements, Ayatollah Khamenei often conducts the marriage ceremonies of newlyweds, and this book is a collection of some of his words of advice during those sessions. CONTENTS PREFACE I WITH EVERY MARRIAGE A FAMILY IS BORN 1 Marriage and Sanctity 2 Importance of Marriage in Islam 3 The Right Time for Marriage 5 Choosing a Spouse 8 Marriage in the Qur’an 14 The Paragon of Marriage: ‘Ali and Fatimah 16 An Islamic Occasion 19 Strengthening the Marital Bond 24 Being Grateful for Marriage 26 THE FAMILY, THE WORLD’S FIRST INSTITUTION 29 The Role of the Family in Society 29 The Family Institution 35 Family: an Abode of Peace 37 Recognizing the Value of Domestic Work 42 Natural Human Desires 46 Positive Upbringing of Children 49 The Binding Matter of Love 51 Importance of Trust 53 A Covering for One Another 55 Keeping Each Other on the Heavenly Path 58 Marriage: A Spiritual or Material Transaction 63 A New Life of Simplicity 70 The Importance of Accommodating Each 72 Other 72 MEN & WOMEN: THE GENDER ISSUE 79 Gender in Islam 79 The Distinct Roles of Men and Women 85 Islam’s View on Women 87 The Importance of Hijab 94 Conceptualizing Women’s Freedom 99 Honouring Women 102 Women and Society 106 Gender Regulations in Islam 111 The Worth of a Muslim Woman 115 The Role of a Mother 119 The Rewarded Struggle of a Woman 121 CLOSING WORDS OF ADVICE 129 Key Advice to Women 129 Key Advice to Men 133 GLOSSARY 137 INDEX OF QUR’ĀNIC VERSES 141 NOTES 144