The Qur’an is full of wonderful stories that revolve around fatherhood.
It is probably one of the most overlooked thematic messages in the Qur’an.
Repeatedly, Allah bears witness to prophets who are recognized as great fathers.
Chapter four of the Qur’an (an-Nisaa) tells us how humanity sprung forth from the first prophet and father, Adam, and the womb of our mother, Hawwa (Eve).
Before calamity hit, Prophet Nuh (Noah) pleaded with his son to believe in the oneness of God.
Prophet Lut (Lot) valiantly protected his children from the surrounding lewdness and temptation in his community.
Prophet Yaqub (Jacob) dealt with the heartbreaking abduction of his young son, Yusuf (Joseph), by his older brothers.
Then there was the epic du’a of the father of the Abrahamic faiths, Ibrahim (AS),as he took upon the task of building the Ka’abah with his wonderful son, Ismail.
By that way, Allah had commanded the dynamic father and son to build the Kaaba, and it is a testament to how important the role of the father is in Islam.
After all, Allah (SWT) could have commanded Ibrahim to build the House of Allah on his own, but he had a little helper, an assistant, and the final prophet, Muhammad, came from the direct lineage of Ismail.
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
Prophet Muhammad himself was the ultimate family man of all times.
Muhammad (peace be upon him) sternly advised his followers: “The best of you is he who is best to his family and I am the best among you to my family” (Tirmidhi).
By saying this, he reminded the ummah (Muslim community) to emulate his behavior when dealing with their own families.
The cornerstone of a strong Muslim ummah lies within the family unit.
Many problems that arise today are really due to the disrupted relationships between spouses, between parents and children, and even between siblings.
In addition, this could very well be a function of poor leadership by the father, although there are always other factors involved.
If all, or a majority of family units were held on sturdy grounds, then members of the same would have better outward relations with others, whether they are neighbors, co-workers, classmates, and other families in the community in general.
So, it is no wonder that the Prophet (PBUH) took time to remind us of the importance of leadership within a family.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) embodied the importance of a strong family unit in his own family life.
He loved his first wife, Khadijah, so much that even years after her passing, he kept good relations with her family.
Pages: 1 2The Prophet’s young wife, Aisha, felt the devotion he had toward Khadijah even though she passed away years before her own marriage to Muhammad.