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Compiled by: Azeem Ayub |
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Reflections |
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If we minutely observe our universe, it becomes evident that the Almighty has created everything in pairs. Both members of a pair complement one another and there exists a tremendous amount of affinity between the two. The poise and balance necessary to create harmony and concordance in this relationship are very delicate, and a slight divergence can damage it beyond restoration. One of the members plays an active and dominant role and the other a passive and acquiescent one. In case, a piece of paper does not submit to the initiative taken by the pen, no writing can come into existence. If the pen smoothly slides across the sheet of paper, it can create a masterpiece, and if it harshly scrapes on it, it will only tear it apart.
Man and woman, perhaps, are one of the perfect examples of such ‘paired-creation’. When they interact with one another, it is in their own well being that harmony and concordance result. But then what should be the nature of this interaction? Islam has always insisted that marriage is the only legitimate form of this interaction so that the institution of family becomes the basic unit of a society.
The reason for this is that man is basically a weak and an insecure being. He has spiritual as well as material needs. Just as he needs to develop a strong relationship with the Almighty to fulfill his spiritual needs, he also needs to develop a strong relationship with his fellow human beings to fulfill his material needs. Thus a man and a woman must come together in a permanent bond of wedlock to create a family to fulfill these material needs which may be physical, emotional and psychological. A man and a woman, taken separately, are incomplete in their existence. Both need each other to fill the voids of their personalities. There are some responsibilities which only a man can fulfill and others which only a woman can. Furthermore, since these requirements are everlasting, any temporary relationship between a man and a woman can never be truly fruitful. The Qur’a#n thus says that marriage is a means of solace and comfort for both of them:
And among His signs is that He created for you mates from among yourselves that you may dwell in tranquility with them and He has planted love and kindness between you. (30:21)
Besides providing peace and tranquility to the spouses, the role a family set-up plays in fulfilling the needs of the individual born to a family is apparent to every keen eye.
Further, in order to safeguard the institution of family, Islam has given a number of directives for the protection and preservation of the family. Some of these directives are referred to below.
It says that a man and a woman must come together in a permanent bond of marriage and must not indulge in extra-marital relationships since they dismember the institution of family. It prescribes severe punishments for people who are guilty of adultery and ostracizes them from the society.
It lays down a whole code of social etiquette and communal conduct to safeguard and protect chastity and modesty which themselves are necessary for the well-being of a family set-up.
It regards the husband as head of the family because his temperament and disposition are more suited for this task.
It is of the view that all differences of opinion between the husband and wife should generally be resolved in an atmosphere of mutual trust and confidence. However, if a situation of anarchy and disorder arises which threatens to disrupt the whole family set-up, the wife must adopt an attitude of submission and adjustment.
It invests the husband with certain powers to deal with a wife who adopts a rebellious attitude and stands up against his authority, just as an affectionate mother has the authority to admonish her children to correct them.
It holds the parents responsible for the proper upbringing of their children.
It urges the children to be very kind and compassionate to their parents, especially in old age.
It says that if ever a divorce is to end a family set-up, a certain prescribed procedure should be followed in letter and spirit since this procedure ensures that the dissolution of marriage passes through an interim phase in which the decision has ample time to be reconsidered.
It maintains that if a divorced woman intends to start a new family, her former husband or his relatives must in no way obstruct her.
Author: Dr Shehzad Saleem
URL: http://www.monthly-renaissance.com/issue/content.aspx?id=249
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In this Issue |
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Reflections |
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Read & Reflect
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Debate & Discuss * Discussion Forum: Introduction to the Hadith | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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* General Discussion Forum: Prayer Keeps away from Indecency & Evil
Participants
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Read and Reflect |
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Head Covering for Women
The Almighty requires of a Muslim woman to not display her make-up or other embellishments like jewellery before unknown men except what she has adorned her hands, feet and face with. The Qur’ān has made it mandatory upon Muslim women to follow this directive. It is for this very reason that the tradition of wearing the head-scarf or head covering while going out of the house was established, and now has become a part of Islamic culture. Even if women have not embellished themselves and have not put on make-up, they have continued to be very vigilant in wearing some sort of head covering. This attitude has also sprung forth from the insinuations of the Qur’ān: The Almighty has specified that the directive of covering the chest and neckline with a covering is not related to old women who have passed their marriageable age on the condition that their intention is not to show off their ornaments. The Qur’ān says that they can take off this covering before men and that there is no harm in this; however, it has simultaneously stated that what is more desirable in the sight of the Almighty is that they should be careful in this matter too and not take their coverings off their chests. It is evident from this that regarding the head too it is desirable in the sight of the Almighty that even if women have not adorned it in any way, even then they should not take off their head coverings. Although covering the head is not mandatory yet when Muslim women live with a concern for religiosity and try to draw near God, they necessarily take this precaution, and never like to come before unknown men bare-headed.
(Translated by Shehzad Saleem)
URL: http://www.monthly-renaissance.com/issue/content.aspx?id=1188
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Tariq
Hashmi (Topic Author, Moderator)
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rimsoo:
[29: 45]:
Surely prayer keeps (one) away from indecency and evil.
ibrahim (Moderator):
No, it does
not mean. This Verse Just means that the Prayer has the Potential to do So
Provided it is offered in the best possible way.
rimsoo:
I am very
much grateful to brother ibrahim for your kind reply!
waseem:
023.1-5
See:
http://www.studying-islam.org/forum/topic.aspx?topicid=2599&lang=&forumid=1
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Pause
and Ponder |
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Question:
Is not the basic purpose of
wearing the Hijāb not to arouse males? Should not then males be asked to control
themselves and not stare at women? Answer:
I am afraid this is an
incorrect inference. ‘Not to arouse males’, is certainly not the purpose of the
Hijāb. Nowhere does the Qur’ān say so. On the contrary, the main purpose of the
Hijāb, as stated by the Qur’ān, is to purify the soul of the person who is
wearing it. The Qur’ān explicitly states that the basic purpose of Islamic
directives is to achieve inner purification: URL: http://www.studying-islam.org/querytext.aspx?id=940
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