The Family in Islam

Part Seven : the Role of Institutions

Who is Responsible?

In the logic of Islam: ' Each of you is a guardian and each of you are responsible for his guardianship'.113 Each person has a role and responsibility without which society has no basis. Since the family is the nucleus of society and the criterion for its advancement or decline rests with it, then it must have a great role in this guardianship.

Girls of marriageable age, divorcees, widows, marital disputes, and for that matter orphans are all subjects which require careful consideration so that wherever possible their problems may be solved. This may be achieved through facilitating the marriage of single persons or through reconciling those parties who have separated. By taking care of orphans and meeting their material and spiritual needs and giving them a good practical and intellectual education.

In materialistic societies, which includes, in this age, Islamic societies, these problems are widespread114 and individuals do not receive the attention they deserve.

Hence all those who have faith and hope in Allah and the day of resurrection, and who contemplate the reform of society should concern themselves with assisting women and orphans. The emissary of Allah has said: ' Have mercy on the weak, on women and on orphans’.

Is it not the case that any one of us could be susceptible to these problems? So if we do not have mercy on those less fortunate than ourselves we may not be shown mercy when we or our children are in a similar position and in need. In the Qur'anic verse: ' Let those (disposing of an estate) have the same fear in their minds as they would have for their own if they had left a helpless family behind. Let them fear Allah and speak appropriately '.115 In the prophetic tradition: ' Have mercy upon those who are on the Earth and He who is in the heavens will have mercy upon you '116 The parents are responsible for themselves and the welfare of their family. Society, including intellectuals and capitalists, is also responsible for supporting its elements and families. The greater responsibility falls on the government and the state.

Marriage Agency

Given that the lives of Muslims are beset by difficulties from every quarter, the foremost of which are related to the family and marriage, and since returning to the equilibrium of nature and Islam takes time before the status quo is changed and matters return to their rightful place, then it is imperative, as has been previously mentioned, that marital foundations be set up to facilitate the marriages of single men and women. The sexual impulse and the impulse to start a family are present in both men and women and what stands in the way of this are the artificial problems like housing requirements, furniture, earning a living, mediation between the two parties, and expenses for medicaments and educating the children etc. Primary institutions are needed for the root and basis of marriage and secondary ones for its branches and requirements. It is possible that committees for communal weddings be formed which could assist in the marriages of large numbers of youngsters and could provide a great deal of effort and financial support. 'The hand of Allah is with the group'117 as is in the prophetic tradition. There is also a great deal of reward due to whoever works towards the marriage of single Muslims. The prophetic traditions are full of special mentions of motherhood, childhood and the ill, as well as the fact that it is a requirement of Allah's words to 'help one another in righteousness and piety'118, as well as that of nature and intellect.

Charitable organisations are among the best solutions to numerous problems relating to the family and society and indeed in any area of life in that they:

a). Stimulate the activities of individuals or similar organisations because they tend to be pluralistic and encourage the activities of others.

b). Can be a source of support for people as the reliance upon a group is greater than that of an individual.

c). The obstinate individual will find no room therein for megalomania.

d). Each individual will be heading in the right direction where there is consultation and a meeting of minds as the most intelligent person is he who combines his mind with those of others.

e). Wherever there is competition between a single group of individuals, each one strives to be 'bigger and better' so that things improve in quality and quantity in a way impossible for a single person working alone to achieve however perfect and sincere he was. The exception to this is only in the case of those 'restrained from error' by Allah. Hence we find that the prophet, himself impeccable, saying: ' Oh people consult me in matters'119. and before that in the Qur'anic verses: ' Consult them in affairs'120, and '. . . those who conduct their affairs by mutual consultation'121, and '. . . by mutual consent and consultation '122, and so on. Therefore there is a need for charitable organisations in all areas of life.

In Democratic States

It is true that in Democratic countries, charitable organisations are able to work to their full potential while this is not the case in dictatorships or one-party states where they might be banned or expelled or otherwise limited as was experienced in Iraq under the Republicans from the late 1950's at the time of the coup of 'Abd-al- Karim Qasim until the present day. Similarly in Iran under the Pahlevis.

Communal weddings in Democratic states are a simple matter. There, the government is an institution like other institutions but monitors other institutions in order to stop wrongdoing and to promote the advancement of the country and guard the public interest. The public interest is public in the full meaning of the word, where there are free political parties and proper elections, and not as dictators wish to interpret the public interest. They only see their own interests and hide behind dazzling rhetoric. The organisation which works towards setting up projects for communal weddings should take advantage of the possibilities open to it in a democratic country where such organisations are able to operate in relative freedom, in the light of multi-party politics, ease of law and media and simplicity of obtaining donations etc.

In dictatorships such as Iraq, such matters are not at all simple and extreme caution must be exercised. Probably it should not be communal as the regime bans or expels these kinds of groups. In fact the regime would probably exploit the reputation of these groups for propaganda purposes. This would be more detrimental to society than the benefit hoped for in marrying people. (There is no obedience to Allah through disobedience). In the case of dictatorial governments, people must cut them off and not cooperate with them even in the building of mosques. As Imam Al- Sadiq said: ' Do not build them even a single mosque'123.

Facilitation and Substitution

In the words of the poet: 'Oh my soul fulfil your grief for that which you feared is now a reality.' The laws of Islam became hidden under the Ottoman and Qajarite rulers and before that under the rulers of Andalucia, the Moghuls and Russia. Today Muslims live in an abyss of poverty, disease, ignorance, backwardness and chaos. How then in the context of the family do we raise the economic level to eradicate poverty? How do we raise health standards to combat illness? How do we free ourselves from ignorance? How can we raise the family's status in society so that it can leave chaos behind?

Individual action is not enough, just as the family is not able to solve its problems alone. There is then a need in the Islamic community for organisations to provide facilities and organisations to institute change.

The first will provide facilities for families by opening schools and hospitals and creating opportunities for employment. Otherwise the children of poor or low-income families will not be able to pay the high fees to enter the universities. Nor will they be able to pay the medical bills of those with chronic diseases. Many is the time that a person has sadly had to sell his house in order to pay to treat his heart disease, or those who do not have a house to sell have died of that or some other disease. At the same time, the rulers are embezzling billions in broad daylight, and anyone who speaks out faces prison, torture, accusations and execution.

The poor can barely find a morsel to eat and some families live out their years on nothing more than bread and tea, some of them not tasting meat or fruit for years on end. The instances of this are beyond number and cover all aspects of life. I have seen a scholar sell his personal library to cover the wedding expenses of his son. Facilitative committees are then to some degree useful according to the principle: 'The complexity of a task should not prevent attempting the achievable tasks.'124 The root of the problem lies in the substitution by the West and its agent rulers of the laws of Islam which used to guarantee our vitality and progress in life. 'He calls you to what will let you live'.125 Therefore committees to institute change should be set up to bring back the vital laws of Islam. Otherwise our life will be nothing but strife and oppression, as in the Qur'anic verse: 'But whosoever turns away from the remembrance of me shall find a straitened existence'.126 It is true that the man who says he does not believe in the law of gravity and throws himself from a high place will still find his bones broken.

Or the man who says he does not believe in Archimedes principle and throws himself in the sea without knowing how to swim, will still drink water until he dies. The same goes for the laws of society, economics, politics, education and the family as Islam confirms.

In so far as salvation lies in the return of these vital laws, then the remit of the committees for change should be to substitute, law by law, each of the false laws with the correct laws. In this way, Allah may look upon Muslims with compassion and rescue them from the backwardness and confusion they now experience.

Another way of supporting the policies of substitution and facilitation is to form groups to make use of free media and equal rights to implement the aforementioned two groups. Similarly help must be sought from philanthropists and charitable bodies to collect funds to meet people's needs as far as possible. All of this is possible if the concern and efforts of reformists and committed individuals is combined after which Allah may cause something to happen.

It is clearly possible to benefit from good Muslim businessmen in the facilitation and substitution operation. Traders were previously the jewel in the crown in the change that took place in favour of Islam and Muslims. It is capital, power, and knowledge that direct society towards the better or God forbid the worse.

It appears in the traditions that: ' Islam was built on three things; the wealth of Khadijah, the protection of Abu Talib, and the morals of the Prophet'. It is these three that helped to foment the rise of Islam.

In another tradition from the Prophet: ' There are two groups in my nation which if righteous so will my nation be righteous and if corrupt so will my nation be corrupt. They are the scholars and the leaders.'

If money is not mentioned in this then it is probably due to the fact that money is secondary to the two other things. As in when Imam Hussein was killed through the power of Zayad, the edict of Shureih, and the wealth of the public treasury which had been directed by the powers that were and the edict towards evil and tyranny.

Muslim traders have the ability to raise the status of Islam and deepen it and maintain it as a barrier against the vast currents over the ages. Islamic charitable institutions be they schools, mosques, shrines, or libraries mostly come from Muslim businessmen. So if they enter the picture, God willing, the change and substitution will become easier.

The aforementioned committees should also take part in planning the development operation. Businesses like agriculture, industry, commerce and heritage may also be able to create those committees in this way. Naturally all arms, drugs, and trade in other forbidden articles should be at all costs avoided for Allah is not obeyed through disobedience.

The Public Treasury

One of the benefits of Islam is the provision of a place for gathering moneys and then spending them on necessary matters. This place is known as the public treasury. The policy of the public treasury is to gather money from the rich and to spend it on the poor. This is alluded to in the tradition of the prophet: ' I have been ordered to take from the rich among you and give to the poor among you'.127 There are four sources of funds for the public treasury: The Khums, The Zakat, The Jizya, The Kharraj each of which are discussed in detail in the books of jurisprudence.

These sources can fulfil the needs of the people and the state making the need for raising public taxes obsolete except in very rare occasions like earthquakes, flooding, famine or drought and this under the supervision of the council of jurists and scholars. The secret to the sufficiency of these four taxes is that Islam places matters in the hands of the people while the responsibility of the state is the supervision and direction of the finances through a small number of specialised officials. This is dealt with in greater detail in other books on the subject. Use must be made of the great potential energies which should be rallied to productive work instead of wasting them in needless bureaucracy where they may be dispensed with. The treasury undertakes to fulfil the public's needs including the needs of those who wish to marry but are poor.

In the event of there being no public treasury as is the situation now in Islamic lands, then the principle of 'that which cannot be fully realised should not be completely neglected' must be put into effect through charitable bodies setting up funds to collect donations and distribute them according to the needs of the public including youngsters who wish to marry.

Conclusion

It is truly sad that ignorance, despotism, and selfishness motivate many Muslims both rulers and ruled to such an extent that some Muslims cannot find even a morsel of food or an abode or a wife and other basic needs. Meanwhile, they are surrounded by the bounties of Allah - earth, sky, light, the riches of nature, and the finest principles known to humanity. But they have neglected the laws of Allah and have been rewarded with these problems and crises which have destroyed their religion and way of life.

What has become of Allah Almighty's words: 'are those who know equal to those who do not know'128 ,or His words'. . . do not take those outside your ranks into your intimacy: they will not fail to corrupt you. They only desire for you to suffer'.129 or His words: ' . . . and consult them in the affairs of moment . . .'130 , or His words: ' . . . so that (wealth) does not merely circulate amongst a rich few.131 and so many other verses and traditions? So that now the Muslim stands between two points; 'bemoaning the state of his religion and his way of life'132 . Whereas Imam Kashif Al-Ghata when he visited Iran said in the prologue to his book 'I did not see one man or woman either weeping or complaining' (meaning here unnatural weeping or complaining)'. Similarly I do not recall any of that either in Iraq before the second world war where Muslims were not yet subject to Eastern and Western laws.

Today though after having chosen for themselves to be led by the Western agenda and have become a confirmation of Allah's words: 'But whosoever turns away from the remembrance of me shall find a straitened existence'133 Calamity has struck even the righteous among them according to Allah Almighty's words: ' . . .and fear a trial which may not only affect the wrongdoers amongst you '. . .134 I now offer some examples of the oppression and distress which have surrounded Afghanistan, Iraq and the Gulf. These are by way of example only for every Islamic land has been struck by this plague.

A certain party in Afghanistan plants opium for export to neighbouring countries and with the proceeds buys weapons with which to kill the people of the country. In this there are at least five criminal acts:

1. Misuse of the blessings of Allah; good land that should be used for good things is used for evil things. 2) The exploitation of workers and means of production for bad ends instead of for righteous ends. 3) Wastage of wealth on tools of destruction, bloodletting and impoverishment instead of being used for building and construction and the needs of the people. 4) Causing pain to the people and the neighbouring countries that should be safe from the calamities of a neighbour falling into the trap of addiction and corruption.

2. Destruction of the country: the natural result of the aforementioned is the destruction of the country and the humiliation and impoverishment of the people. This though is only the natural result of the type of ignorance that we have mentioned and the abandonment of the laws of God. In the Qur'anic verse: '. . . and be not like those who have forgotten God and He made them forget their own souls . . .'135 Then the West puts Saddam in place so he can embezzle more than 800 billion dollars worth of Muslim wealth and do with Iraq and its neighbours such murder, terrorising, imprisonment, torture, war, famine, torment, and economic destruction as has not been witnessed in the whole of history.136 The crimes of the Mongols, the Tartars and the Hajaj pale into insignificance compared to the crimes of Saddam and his party. The West then makes the Iraqi regime into a tool for terrorising and corrupting the Gulf states and their other neighbours so that they ask for military bases on their soil and buy from the West billions of dollars of arms137 rather than serving the needs of the people and improving the lifestyle of the country. In this way the Islamic community is in the worst possible state of oppression and distress.138

There is as we previously said no cure to this other than through a general awareness which is the prelude towards a return to the laws of Islam. For Islam is what will rescue humanity as that Muslim who went to conquer Persia said when Rustum asked him 'What do you want' He said ' We have come to bring the people from obeying other people to obeying Allah and to rescue humanity from the narrowness of the earth to its wideness.