إدريس عبدالله
_30 _April _2016هـ الموافق 30-04-2016م, 11:59 PM
The foremost and fundamental institution of human society is the unit of family. A family is established by the coming together of a man and a woman, and their contact brings into existence of a new generation. It then produces ties of kinship and community, which gradually develop into a large society. The family is institution through which a generation prepares the succeeding generation for the service of human civilization and for the discharge of its social obligations with devotion, sincerity and enthusiasm.
This institution does not merely recruit cadets for the maintenance and development of human culture but its guardians. They earnestly desire that those who have to replace them in future should be better than themselves. In this respect, the family can be truly called the fountain-head of the progress, development, prosperity and strength of human civilization on the earth.
Hence, among the social problems Islam devotes much attention to those relating to the family and strives to establish this important social unit on the healthiest and strongest foundations. According to Islam the correct form of relationship between man and woman is marriage, that is, the one in which full social responsibilities are undertaken by them and which results in the emergence of a family. Free sex-license and irresponsible behaviour are not condoned by Islam as innocent pastimes or ordinary transgressions. Rather, they are acts which strike at the very roots of human society. Hence, Islam holds every form of extra-matrimonial se-relationship as sinful, forbidden (haram) and punishable under the criminal law of Islam. It prescribes severe punishments for the offence so that such unsocial behavior may not be common. At the same time it aims at purifying and purging the society of all activities which encourage such irresponsible actions or provide opportunities for them.
Regulations of Purdah, ban on free mixing of men and women, restrictions on filthy music and pictures, and discouragement of the spread and propagation of obscurities and aberrations, are all intended to guard against this. Their sole object is to protect and strengthen the institution of the family.
Islam does not merely regard the desirable form of social contact as just permissible but holds and affirms it as good and virtuous act, indeed, an act of worship. It does not simply look upon celibacy of an adult person with disfavor, but it calls upon every young man to take in his turn upon himself the social responsibilities of married life just as his parents did so in their time.
Islam does not merely regard asceticism and perpetual celibacy as no virtue at all but as aberrations and departures from the true nature of man and acts of revolt against the Divine scheme of things. It also strongly disapproves those rites, ceremonies or restrictions which tend to make marriage a difficult and tedious affair. The intention of Islam is that marriage may become easy and fornication the most difficult thing in society, and not vice versa as it is in most of the societies today.
Hence, after debarring a few specified relatives from entering into matrimony with one another, it has legalized marital relations with all other new and distant kith and kin. It has removed all distinctions of caste and community and permitted matrimony of any Muslim with any Muslim. It has enjoined that the amount of mahar (dower) should be fix at a low and easy figure, the burden of which can be easily borne by the husband and has dispensed with the necessity of priests and offices of compulsory registrations. In an Islamic society, marriage is such a plain and simple ceremony as can be performed anywhere before two witnesses, though it is essential that the proceedings should not be kept secret. The idea is that the society should know that the couple is now going to live a matrimonial life.
Within the family itself Islam has assigned to man a position of authority so that he may maintain order and discipline as the chief of the household. Islam expects the wife to obey and look after the comforts and well-being of her husband and expects the children to behave accordingly to their parents. Islam does not favour a loose and disjointed family system which is void of any authority, control and discipline and in which someone is not pointedly responsible for the proper conduct and behaviour of its members. Discipline can only be maintained through a central authority and in view of Islam the position of father in the family is such that it makes him the fittest person to take over this responsibility. But this does not mean that man has been made a tyrant and oppressor in the household and woman has been handed over to him as a helpless chattel.
According to Islam, the real spirit of matrimonial life is love, understanding and mutual respect. If woman has been asked to obey the husband, the later has been called upon to exercise his privilege towards the welfare of the family and treat the wife with love, affection and sweetness.
Islam makes the marital bond strong but not unbreakable. It aims at keeping the bond intact only so long as it is founded on the sweetness of love or at least the possibility of lasting companionship exists. When this possibility dies out, it gives man the right of divorce and woman the right of separation, and under certain conditions where married life has become a source of misery or nuisance, gives the Islamic courts of justice the authority to annul the marriage.
This institution does not merely recruit cadets for the maintenance and development of human culture but its guardians. They earnestly desire that those who have to replace them in future should be better than themselves. In this respect, the family can be truly called the fountain-head of the progress, development, prosperity and strength of human civilization on the earth.
Hence, among the social problems Islam devotes much attention to those relating to the family and strives to establish this important social unit on the healthiest and strongest foundations. According to Islam the correct form of relationship between man and woman is marriage, that is, the one in which full social responsibilities are undertaken by them and which results in the emergence of a family. Free sex-license and irresponsible behaviour are not condoned by Islam as innocent pastimes or ordinary transgressions. Rather, they are acts which strike at the very roots of human society. Hence, Islam holds every form of extra-matrimonial se-relationship as sinful, forbidden (haram) and punishable under the criminal law of Islam. It prescribes severe punishments for the offence so that such unsocial behavior may not be common. At the same time it aims at purifying and purging the society of all activities which encourage such irresponsible actions or provide opportunities for them.
Regulations of Purdah, ban on free mixing of men and women, restrictions on filthy music and pictures, and discouragement of the spread and propagation of obscurities and aberrations, are all intended to guard against this. Their sole object is to protect and strengthen the institution of the family.
Islam does not merely regard the desirable form of social contact as just permissible but holds and affirms it as good and virtuous act, indeed, an act of worship. It does not simply look upon celibacy of an adult person with disfavor, but it calls upon every young man to take in his turn upon himself the social responsibilities of married life just as his parents did so in their time.
Islam does not merely regard asceticism and perpetual celibacy as no virtue at all but as aberrations and departures from the true nature of man and acts of revolt against the Divine scheme of things. It also strongly disapproves those rites, ceremonies or restrictions which tend to make marriage a difficult and tedious affair. The intention of Islam is that marriage may become easy and fornication the most difficult thing in society, and not vice versa as it is in most of the societies today.
Hence, after debarring a few specified relatives from entering into matrimony with one another, it has legalized marital relations with all other new and distant kith and kin. It has removed all distinctions of caste and community and permitted matrimony of any Muslim with any Muslim. It has enjoined that the amount of mahar (dower) should be fix at a low and easy figure, the burden of which can be easily borne by the husband and has dispensed with the necessity of priests and offices of compulsory registrations. In an Islamic society, marriage is such a plain and simple ceremony as can be performed anywhere before two witnesses, though it is essential that the proceedings should not be kept secret. The idea is that the society should know that the couple is now going to live a matrimonial life.
Within the family itself Islam has assigned to man a position of authority so that he may maintain order and discipline as the chief of the household. Islam expects the wife to obey and look after the comforts and well-being of her husband and expects the children to behave accordingly to their parents. Islam does not favour a loose and disjointed family system which is void of any authority, control and discipline and in which someone is not pointedly responsible for the proper conduct and behaviour of its members. Discipline can only be maintained through a central authority and in view of Islam the position of father in the family is such that it makes him the fittest person to take over this responsibility. But this does not mean that man has been made a tyrant and oppressor in the household and woman has been handed over to him as a helpless chattel.
According to Islam, the real spirit of matrimonial life is love, understanding and mutual respect. If woman has been asked to obey the husband, the later has been called upon to exercise his privilege towards the welfare of the family and treat the wife with love, affection and sweetness.
Islam makes the marital bond strong but not unbreakable. It aims at keeping the bond intact only so long as it is founded on the sweetness of love or at least the possibility of lasting companionship exists. When this possibility dies out, it gives man the right of divorce and woman the right of separation, and under certain conditions where married life has become a source of misery or nuisance, gives the Islamic courts of justice the authority to annul the marriage.