Muslim Families: Current Challenges and Future Aspirations

By Dr. Alaa Mohamed Al-Saeid, Islam Online

Islam has emphasized the importance of the family unit, and has laid down its governing rules and regulations in great detail in the Qu’ran and in the Sunnah. This highlights the importance of the family with regards to the well-being of the individual, society and the Ummah. The Holy Qu’ran and the Sunnah have elaborated on the rules governing marriage, the rights and entitlements of spouses, the parent-child relationship, as well as inheritance, legacies and divorce. Tackling all issues pertaining to the family in such great detail serves to accentuate the belief that the well-being of the family affects the individual’s sense of peace and contentment, as well as the stability and security of society as a whole. The provisions set down in both the Qu’ran and Sunnah are directly related to aqeedah and faith in God Almighty. God Almighty gives us marriage as an indication and manifestation of His infinite wisdom “and among his signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts): Verily in that are signs for those who reflect”.1 Islam views the marriage contract as the most holy of covenants that is not to be taken lightly, and strongly opposes any deceit or dissemblance. The Qur’an states that: “and how could ye take it when ye have gone in unto each other, and they have taken from you a solemn covenant.”2 The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) further stresses upon the importance of marriage and says: “youth, whosoever owns the means to marry should do so, and if not capable then abstain”3 Islam further refuted both abnegation and monasticism. Islam establishes the relationship between spouses to be based on mercy, love and goodwill between both partners, to this end Islam gave both partners clear rights and defined duties that they are obligated to abide by, to facilitate their lives and to create a safe and stable society. In this context Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “The most virtuous of you are those good to their families and I am the best amongst you to my family.”4 Within Islamic doctrine the aim for setting up a family is the formation of a righteous individual and a society that is capable of endeavor and contribution; this is because the family is the primary social environment that embraces a member from birth onwards. The family witnesses the progression from one stage to the next, and works on forming the life of any individual with its own unique persona. The family provides the surrounding ambiance that shapes the mental, social and moral perspective of the individual, and consequently is the strongest effective conditioning force. Role of a Family The vital role of the family in the life of any individual can be seen as: 1. Safeguarding the integrity of the human element 2. Primary core of any society 3. Offering a psychological haven 4. Forming a righteous human being 5. Putting regulations on physical desires 6. Offering continuity to social heritage 7. Achieving social and individual security 8. Supporting the emotional and physical development of the individual The Status of the Muslim family in Europe After the immigration of Muslims to Europe, both in groups or as individuals, we began to witness the immergence of generations of European Muslims, and after a time the Muslim presence in Europe stabilized. Muslim families took their place within the framework of European societies, and the effects of the Western- style of life became apparent, we also began to notice an increase in inter-family problems within Muslim families of the West, which have included: 1. An increase in divorce rates. 2. Parental negligence. 3. A decrease in the levels of education. 4. A high level of delinquency. 5. Marital abuse. 6. A rebellious attitude from wives towards their spouses. 7. An increase in marital problems. 8. A large number of cases in the courts, and complaints to the police, regarding problems in Muslim families. 9. Problems arising from Muslim women marrying non-Muslim men. All these issues, which can easily be noticed by any layman observer, are in fact an alarm, warning of the danger faced by the Muslim family, which is considered to be the safe haven, immortal citadel, primary fortress and source of righteousness for the Muslim community. We need to take a sagacious stance towards rectifying the path, and a prudent approach to tackling the dangers, and make serious and diligent efforts towards safeguarding the Muslim family from deterioration and destruction. We aspire to have Muslim families – as God Almighty intended them to be- as entities of compassion, mercy, care and love, and capable of issuing forth righteous generations, who can act as role models to societies in general, proving that Islam places humanity on the right path and offers a life of contentment. How Can we Achieve This Aim? Based on the ordains of God Almighty, and on the commands of our True Religion, all Muslims whether individuals, groups, or institutions are obliged to do their duty and take a keen interest in the affairs of the Muslim family, on the grounds that it is the fortress that will guard future generations of Muslims, as well as the Muslim presence in the West. In the words of the Holy Qu’ran: “O ye who believe! Save yourselves and your families from a fire…”5 and in the words of The Messenger of Allah “You are all shepherds and each one of you is responsible for his flock”. The Federation of Islamic Organizations in Europe has launched a campaign heralding 2009 as the “Year of EU Muslim Family”, their belief and motto being that “A Stable Family Forms a Stable Community”, the federation has urged and encouraged all associations and organizations to join the cause. We should all adopt this belief and support this campaign, out of our faith in the crucial role that the Muslim family plays in Europe, in securing and stabilizing Islamic presence, and presenting the true Islamic paradigm of life based on devoutness, compassion and mercy, and in acknowledgment of the dire difficulties facing Muslim families in the West. We call out to all organizations, associations and authorities, whether Muslims or non-Muslims, that can co-operate with us on this huge project, and put in the necessary effort and commitment, that will benefit the Muslim family, Muslim presence in Europe, as well as the societies in which the Muslim families live. Let our motto this year in Europe be – God Willing – “A Stable Muslim Family in Europe”. Let our joint work and aim focus on achieving this lofty goal – with the aid of God Almighty – exerting all our efforts in this regard.

(1) Surat An-Nur (21) (2) Surat An-Nisaa (21) (3) Al Bukhary 8/9 Book of Marriage Muslim 172/9 Book of Marriage (4) Al Turmozy 394/10 (5) Surat At-Tahrim (6)

Faisal Awards presented

Ghazanfar Ali Khan, Arab News
RIYADH: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah presented awards to this year’s winners of the prestigious King Faisal International Prize (KFIP) at a glittering ceremony here last night. The awards were presented in all five categories to recipients from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Kingdom, the United States, Morocco and Russia.

In the service to Islam category, Egypt’s Principal Shari’ah Society for Qur’an and Sunnah Scholars was honored, while two scholars from the UK and Russia shared and received the prize in the science category.

The presentation ceremony at the Prince Sultan Hall in the Al-Faisaliah complex in Riyadh was attended by a number of princes, Cabinet members, diplomats and senior government officials. Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, who is also the director-general of the King Faisal Foundation (KFF) and chair of the KFIP board, welcomed the king and guests.

Abdullah Al-Othaimeen, KFIP secretary-general, read out individual citations for winners, who then received their prizes from King Abdullah.

King Abdullah first presented the Prize for Arabic Language and Literature to Abd Al-Aziz N. Al-Manie of Saudi Arabia, who is professor emeritus of Arabic literature at Riyadh’s King Saud University. In his acceptance speech, Al-Manie thanked the king for the award and said he has been “working, verifying and elucidating several Arabic literary works of the third and seventh century Hijrah through the years.”

Each winner of the award received SR750,000 ($200,000) in cash, a certificate outlining the laureate’s work and a commemorative 22-carat gold medallion. Speaking on the occasion, Al-Othaimeen cited Egypt’s Principal Shari’ah Society for Qur’an and Sunnah Scholars as the winner of the 2009 KFIP for service to Islam.

The prize was given in recognition of the society’s outstanding services to Islam and Muslims, which includes nearly 100 years of dawa work. The society’s services in Egypt include holding religious classes, extending true Islamic teachings and thought through its website, establishing more than 50 institutes for training Muslim preachers, and sponsoring orphans and students at Al-Azhar University.

The organization has also been rigorously contesting anti-Islamic propaganda, carries out a range of social services and has built more than 5,000 mosques across the world.

In the Islamic studies category, Abdessalam M. Cheddadi, a professor at the University Research Institute of Mohammad V University in Rabat, was cited for his pioneering works on Ibn Khaldoun. After receiving the prize from King Abdullah, Cheddadi said that he had been “working in this field for the last 30 years.” Cheddadi has elucidated the basis, concepts, terminology and types of Ibn Khaldoun’s famous theory of “Imran”, comparing them to modern social theories.

In the category of medicine, the prize was presented to Ronald Levy, head of the oncology division at Stanford University Medical School’s Department of Medicine. Levy thanked the king and KFF and said he had been recognized for his pioneering studies in cancer immunotherapy. “Our studies, our efforts and our treatment are for all humanity irrespective of color and religion,” he said.

Almost 30 years ago, he developed antibodies that could distinguish between malignant and benign tumor cells.

Levy, in his works, showed in 1980 that monoclonal antibodies against a tumor-associated antigen could be employed to treat patients with B cell lymphoma. Many of these patients responded well to the treatment. In the last 11 years, the drug he discovered has been used to treat a large number of lymphoma patients with remarkable remission and survival results. In his more recent work, Levy has used patients’ immune system to mount immune responses against their cancer cells.

In the science category, Sir Richard Henry Friend, chairman of the British Council of the School of Physical Sciences and Cavendish professor of physics at the University of Cambridge, and Rashid Alievich Sunyaev, chief scientist at the Space Research Institute at the Russian Academy of Science and director of the Max-Planck Institute for Astrophysics in Germany, shared the prize for their distinguished contributions. Friend, in his speech, thanked KFF and said that he had a pleasant surprise on hearing news of his nomination for the prize.

“Friend has pioneered the physics and engineering of semi-conductor devices made of plastic materials,” said Al-Othaimeen in the citation. On the other hand, Sunyaev has made pioneering and fundamental contributions to astrophysics and cosmology, he added.

Sunyaev’s theoretical works on cosmic background radiation laid the foundation for observational exploration of the structure of the universe. His work on black holes and binary stars has been critical in advancing the field of X-ray astronomy.

In his acceptance speech, Sunyaev appreciated the role of the Kingdom under the leadership of King Abdullah in promoting research, knowledge and scholarly works. Recalling the contributions of Arab scientists and scholars especially in the fields of astronomy, astrophysics and cosmology, he said that the UN has declared 2009 as the year of astronomy. “This is indeed a rare field that needs to be explored more and recognized,” said the space scientist, while referring to Arab contributions in this field.

The King Faisal Awards were established in 1979. The prize is considered the Arab Nobel Prize. Several winners of the King Faisal prize have also won the Nobel Prize.

Topics for the 2010 King Faisal International Prize were also announced. Mathematics will be the subject for the KFIP in the science category, while non-arthroplasty management of degenerative disease will be the topic in the medicine category. Studies dealing with Arabic grammatical thought will be the topic in the Arabic language category, while studies dealing with religious endowments in Islam will be the subject of the prize in the Islamic studies category.

The deadline for nomination for 2010’s KFIP is May 1, 2009.

The King Faisal Foundation was established in 1976 by the eight sons of the late King Faisal. Of the many philanthropic activities of the KFF, the King Faisal International Prize is the most widely known. By drawing attention to important issues and rewarding gifted scientists, the prize’s direct and indirect effects are far reaching. Nominations for the prizes are accepted from international institutions and organizations only, and not from individuals or political parties. Learn more Faysal: Saudi Arabia's King for All Seasons