By: Aliya Arif
According to Islamic perspective, family unit is very significant. Allah swt created Adam (as) and then created Amma Hawa to make family. Since then family is the basic and most important unit of the society. Concept of family is for the unity, strength and growth of the community. Family unit is like a strong brick in a building.
Men and women both are Allah swt creation. Allah swt make them different in many aspects. It is daily life experience that we get best results when different ideas and people with different capabilities work together. According to my understanding that is the concept behind the family. Quran and hadith refer to the biological differences. Both male and female are physically and emotionally different. This is the combination that can develop human characteristics like love, kindness, mercy and justice. These values are not just for the benefit of the individual family but for the whole community and at large for the whole nation.
Imagine this world without a family system, what we would expect in that community. Kids are born but left at the hospitals. Anyone could pick up those kids. They are not raised by their parents, not with love, affection and care. When no human brought up in the family, what kind of qualities they would have and would return to their society. We can imagine chaos and havoc in that community. Allah swt created humans with a full manual of guidelines. We take everything for granted. We do not appreciate what we get. I learned so many great virtues of life by my grandparents along with my parents. Here in North America youth is leaving the concept of family. They are taking family as living together for fun and enjoyment only.
In Islam family is the foundation and institution of the society. Family can make positive contribution to the community by preventing crime, helping people and education. Family can provide healthy, secure and nurturing environment to the community. This healthy trend will pass on to the other people that will help in growing healthy community. In the end I like to take some action points for all of us. How we are going to preserve the family system in Canada. We must give time to our kids and educating other sisters. Islam promises reward for the time and effort we put for our family.