THE MUSLIM HOME ♥

Islamic knowledge in the home

Teaching the family

This is an obligation which lead the head of the household must undertake, in obedience to the command of Allah. 'O you who believe! Ward off from yourselves and your families a fire (hell) whose fuel is men and stones...." [at-tahreem 66:6]
This ayah is the basic principle regarding the. teaching and upbringing of one's family, and enjoying them to do good and forbidding what is evil.
There follow some of the comments of the Mufassireen on this ayah, in so far as it pertains to the duties of the head of the household.

Qutaadah said: "he should command them to obey Allah, and forbid them to disobey Him, and direct them in accordance with the commands of Allah, and help them to do that."

Dahhak and muqattil said: " it is the Muslims duty to teach his family, including relatives and females slaves, what Allah has enjoined upon them and what he has forbidden"

'Ali(May Allah be pleased with him) said; "teach them and discipline them."

Al-tabari( May Allah have mercy on him) said: " we must teach our children and wives the religion and goodness, and whatever they need of good manners. If the messenger of Allah( peace and blessings be upon him) used to urge teaching of female servants, who were slaves, what do you think about your children and wives, who are free?"

Al-Bukhari (May Allah have mercy on him) said in his saheeh: " chapter: a man's teaching his female slaves and wife." Then he quoted the hadeeth of the prophet (peace be upon him) "there are three who will have two rewards... a man who has female slave whom he teaches good manners and teaches her well, and teaches her knowledge, and teaches her well, then he frees her and marries her: he will have two rewards."

Ibn hajar( May Allah have mercy on him) said, commenting on this hadeeth: " the chapter heading refers specially to female slaves, and to wives by anology, I.e, teaching one's free wife about her duties towards Allah and the sunnah of his messenger is more clearly essential than teaching one's female slaves.

In the midst of All a man's activities, work and other commitments, he may forget allow himself time for teaching his wife. One solution to this is allocated some time for the family, and even for others such as relatives, to hold a study circle at home. He can let everyone know the time and encourage them to come regularly, so that it will be an ongoing commitment for him and for them. Something similar happened at the time of the prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

Al Bukhari ( May Allah have mercy on him) said: " chapter: can the women be given a day exclusively for them to seek knowledge"? And quoted the hadeeth of abu sa'eed al-khudri (May Allah be pleased with him): the women said to the prophet( peace and blessings be upon him) "the men always crowd us out and we cannot reach you, so set aside a day for us when we can come to you."  So he set a day when he would meet them and teach them.

Ibn hajar said: a similar report was narrated by sahl ibn abu saalih from Abu hurairah, according to which [the prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: your appointment is in the house of so and so, and he came to them and spoke to them.]