WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION
Welcome to The Islamic Family House Training: Building Strong Marriages to Affirm
Life and Avoid Risk. Through training, you will realize the blessings of a loving and
lasting marriage and you will learn how to avoid HIV and how to help your children
receive the same blessings.
Since the family is the nucleus of Islamic society, and marriage is the only way to bring
families into existence, the Prophet (PBUH) insisted upon that his followers enter
into marriage. The Shari’ah prescribes rules to regulate the functioning of the family
so that both spouses can live together in love, security, and tranquility. Marriage in
Islam has aspects of both Ibadah (worship) and mu’amalah
(transactions between human beings). “And among His Signs
is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves,
that ye may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put
love and mercy between your (hearts): verily in that are Signs
for those who reflect.” [Quran 30:21]
Marriage is an act pleasing to Allah (SWT) because it is in
accordance with his commandments that husband and wife love
each other and help each other to continue the human race and
raise their children to become true servants of Allah (SWT).
These aspects are beautifully explained in the tradition of the
Prophet. It is narrated by Anas that the Messenger of Allah
(PBUH) said, “When a man marries, he has fulfilled half of
his religion, so let him fear regarding the remaining half.”
(Albaihaqi)
The Prophet (PBUH) considered marriage for a Muslim as
half of his religion because it shields him from promiscuity,
adultery, fornication, etc., which ultimately lead to many
other evils like slander, quarreling, homicide, loss of property,
disintegration of the family, and sometimes death. According
to the Prophet (PBUH) the remaining half can be saved by
Taqwa [faith]
As we go through each component of the Islamic Family
House, we will follow a three-step process.12 THE ISLAMIC FAMILY HOUSE
The first step consists of Gathering Views. In this step, we will show you a picture or
read an Islamic quotation from the Quran, hadith, or Sunnah related to what we are
about to discuss. We will then ask you a few questions to gather your thoughts on
what it represents.
The second step consists of Supplementing Views. In this step, the facilitators add
Islamic teachings from Quran and hadith and other ideas to the ones you have
presented.
The third step consists of Life Application. In this step, the facilitators ask you as
couples to reflect on and discuss with each other one or more Couple Time questions
about the topic. After the reflection, the facilitators will summarize that topic and
move on to the next.
Our hope is that the three-step process of Gathering Views, Supplementing Views,
and Life Application will allow for a meaningful and thorough discussion of Islamic
Family House. By the end of the three-step process, couples should have a good
understanding of the topic and how it applies to their lives and to their marriages