Japan Muslims Peace Federation (JMPF) held its sixth annual seminar on ‘Family Life In Islam’ at the University of Tokyo. The speakers included Sh. Muhammad Faqih, a guest speaker from California and Prof. Yoshiaki Sanada, a prominent japanese scholar on Islam and Buddhism. Several members of the Muslim community and their non-Muslim friend attended the event.
The speakers stressed the importance Islam gives to family life and its benefits for the well-being of the household members and to the community in general.
Following are the excrepts of the speech made by Sh. Muhammad Faqih, the Imam at Orange County Islamic Center, California, USA.
“Tradition, culture, modern trends and necessities, all contribute to the changing roles and responsibilities of men and women within the family and society. The increase in divorce rates, unmarried women, single mothers and elderly are an additional responsibility for families and communities. What stand does Islam take on these various responsibilities? What obligations, roles and responsibilities are ordained by Allah for men and women? What does Islam tell us about the treatment of a wife in everyday interactions, when differences or hardship arise after divorce? What are women’s rights with regards to legal status, inheritance and employment? Islam elevated the status of women over 1400 years ago, but would Muslim women today thrive given these same Islamic rights? As fathers, husbands, brothers, and sons, why should you concern yourselves with knowing these rights and ensuring women get their rights?
The answers to these questions and the solutions to our problems can be found in the glorious Qur’an. The Qur’an is filled with guidance and insights about relationships within the family, such as husband/wife and father/son, and about the rights and responsibilities of men and women. The description of family relationships emphasize clear underlying values of mercy, forgiveness and love. Even the basis to the rights and rulings pertaining to legal matters and divorce mentioned in the Qur’an reinforce these same family values.
Allah (swt) sent Prophet Muhammed as the perfect example; his character, or moral principles and the rules of conduct he lived by, were a clear manifestation of Qur’anic teachings. To understand this, we will examine his treatment of family members, children, servants and specifically the women in his household. It is easier to have good conduct when there is a motivating factor or immediate worldly benefit. A true test of character is how you treat your family or those weaker than you or those reliant on you financially. Through captivating examples of the Prophet Muhammed’s treatment of others, you will understand his true embodiment of the Qur’an. Hear what his wives and servants had to say about his character, ethics. Fulfilling these Islamic character, ethics is crucial to creating a thriving society and is sure to guarantee you a place in paradise! Using the Qur’an and Sunnah (the life of Prophet Muhammed) as a framework, this session will explore the Islamic perspective on the family unit from all dimensions and address the status of women in Islam. At a time when the family unit and character ethics are under institutionalized attack, understanding how Islam is the solution to the preservation of basic family values, such as caring for the elderly and treating women with respect, could never be more relevant and crucial.”
Prof. Yoshiaki Sanada made a detailed comparison of the family life in japan and some other Muslim countries. he especially noted that the suicide rate among the Muslims was very low compared with that of the japanese in Japan. he emphasized the audience to get a deeper understanding of the family life in islam and follow the basic principles on which the family life in islam stands on.
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