THE FAMILY OF A BELIEVER
With reference to the Prophet’s family, the Quran gives us this teaching:
Bear in mind all that is recited in your homes of the revelations of God and of hikmah (wisdom). God is all pervading and all aware. (33:34).
This is a role model for a believer’s family. This Quranic verse refers to the family of the Prophet in particular, and in general it gives the portrait of a believer’s family.
It means that the head of the family must be a prepared member of his family. He must be aware of the teachings of the Quran and Hadith. He must be able to apply these teachings on to the daily life of his family.
It is the duty of the head of the family to give religious training to his family. But, this is not possible by simply making them hear the recitation of the Quran. The right way of training is that this task should be carried out in an applied way. That is, everyday in the family life there are occasions of different nature. The head of the family should use these occasions as points of reference to tell others of the relevant teachings of the Quran and Hadith. This task must be performed in a way that addresses the mind of the members of the family. Educating the family is the duty of the head of the family. However, this work should be done in a result-oriented manner.
The Prophet’s family is a role model for all the believers. The example set by the Prophet in this regard is a sunnah, or practice, of the Prophet.
It is also necessary that the head of the family must practice what he preaches to the family members. For example, the head of the family must be a positive thinker in the complete sense of the term. Only then will he be in a position to advise his family members to not adopt negative thinking. Otherwise, his admonition will go in vain. Similarly, the head of the family should possess a spiritual character, because only then will he be successful in preventing other family members from adopting a materialistic culture.
The Prophet’s family is a role model for all the believers. The example set by the Prophet in this regard is a sunnah, or practice, of the Prophet. Just as we follow the Prophet in other matters, so should we follow the prophetic way in family affairs too.
