Outlines of Islamic Jurisprudence. Page 319 to 321

1. INTRODUCTION:

The family comes into existence as a consequence of a legal marriage, which is one of Allah's sanctioned traditions in creation and formation. It is a common and regular practice to all human creatures.

Allah says:

يٰٓاَيُّھَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوْا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِيْ خَلَقَكُمْ مِّنْ نَّفْسٍ وَّاحِدَةٍ وَّخَلَقَ مِنْھَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًا كَثِيْرًا وَّنِسَاۗءً ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ الَّذِيْ تَسَاۗءَلُوْنَ بِهٖ وَالْاَرْحَامَ ۭ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيْبًا۔

اے لوگو! اپنے پروردگار سے ڈرو جس نے تمہیں ایک جان سے پیدا کیا  اسی سے اس کی بیوی کو پیدا کر کے ان دونوں سے بہت سے مرد اور عورتیں پھیلا دیں اس اللہ سے ڈرو جس کے نام پر ایک دوسرے سے مانگتے ہو اور رشتے ناتے توڑنے سے بھی بچو  بیشک اللہ تعالٰی تم پر نگہبان ہے۔

“O mankind, revere your Guardian Lord, who created you from a single Person, created of like nature, his mate, and from them twain scattered (like seeds) countless men and women.” (Al Nisa 1)

It has been Allah's will and decree that the family is based upon the relationship between a man and a woman. It is founded on their mutual consent [offering and acceptance denote this consent] to belong to each other, it creates certain rights and obligation on both husband and wife and also helpful in creating harmony in the society. Family imposes duties on its members protects their rights against one another.

Family may be divided in three main classes as under

First: The rights of husbands:

Allah says:

اَلرِّجَالُ قَوّٰمُوْنَ عَلَي النِّسَاۗءِ بِمَا فَضَّلَ اللّٰهُ بَعْضَھُمْ عَلٰي بَعْضٍ وَّبِمَآ اَنْفَقُوْا مِنْ اَمْوَالِهِمْ ۭ فَالصّٰلِحٰتُ قٰنِتٰتٌ حٰفِظٰتٌ لِّلْغَيْبِ بِمَا حَفِظَ اللّٰهُ ۭ وَالّٰتِيْ تَخَافُوْنَ نُشُوْزَھُنَّ فَعِظُوْھُنَّ وَاهْجُرُوْھُنَّ فِي الْمَضَاجِعِ وَاضْرِبُوْھُنَّ ۚ فَاِنْ اَطَعْنَكُمْ فَلَا تَبْغُوْا عَلَيْهِنَّ سَبِيْلًا ۭاِنَّ اللّٰهَ كَانَ عَلِيًّا كَبِيْرًا۔

مرد عورت پر حاکم ہیں اس وجہ سے کہ اللہ تعالٰی نے ایک کو دوسرے پر فضیلت دی ہے اور اس وجہ سے کہ مردوں نےمال خرچ کئے ہیں  پس نیک فرمانبردار عورتیں خاوند کی عدم موجودگی میں یہ حفاظت الٰہی نگہداشت رکھنے والیاں ہیں اور جن عورتوں کی نافرمانی اور بددماغی کا تمہیں خوف ہو انہیں نصیحت کرو اور انہیں الگ بستروں پر چھوڑ دو اور انہیں مار کی سزا دو پھر اگر وہ تابعداری کریں تو ان پر راستہ تلاش نہ کرو  بیشک اللہ تعالٰی بڑی بلندی اور بڑائی والا ہے۔

“Men have authority over women because Allah has made the one superior to the others, and because they spend their wealth to maintain them, therefore good women are devoutly obedient, and guard in (husband's absence) what God would have them guard.” (Al Nisa 34)

As to the prophetic traditions we cite the following:

Ummu-Salamah (God bless her) relates that Muhammad has said: “Any woman with whom her husband is pleased shall go to paradise when she dies.”


Secondly: The wife's rights:

Allah says:

وَالْمُطَلَّقٰتُ يَتَرَبَّصْنَ بِاَنْفُسِهِنَّ ثَلٰثَةَ قُرُوْۗءٍ ۭ وَلَا يَحِلُّ لَهُنَّ اَنْ يَّكْتُمْنَ مَا خَلَقَ اللّٰهُ فِيْٓ اَرْحَامِهِنَّ اِنْ كُنَّ يُؤْمِنَّ بِاللّٰهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْاٰخِرِ ۭوَبُعُوْلَتُهُنَّ اَحَقُّ بِرَدِّھِنَّ فِيْ ذٰلِكَ اِنْ اَرَادُوْٓا اِصْلَاحًا ۭ وَلَهُنَّ مِثْلُ الَّذِيْ عَلَيْهِنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوْفِ ۠ وَلِلرِّجَالِ عَلَيْهِنَّ دَرَجَةٌ ۭ وَاللّٰهُ عَزِيْزٌ حَكِيْمٌ۔

طلاق والی عورتیں اپنے آپ کو تین حیض تک روکے رکھیں  انہیں حلال نہیں کہ اللہ نے ان کے رحم میں جو پیدا کیا ہو چھپائیں  اگر انہیں اللہ تعالٰی پر اور قیامت کے دن پر ایمان ہو، ان کے خاوند اس مدت میں انہیں لوٹا لینے کے پورے حقدار ہیں اگر ان کا ارادہ اصلاح کا ہو  اور عورتوں کو بھی ویسے ہی حق ہیں جیسے ان پر مردوں کے ہیں اچھائی کے ساتھ  ہاں مردوں کو عورتوں پر فضیلت ہے اللہ تعالٰی غالب ہے حکمت والا ہے۔

 “Women shall with justice have rights similar to those exercised against them.” (Al-Baqrah 228)
 

1. Muhammad (SAW)says: Women are men's sisters (equal to them).
2. He also says: Only gracious people treat women with deference but vile people humiliate them.
3. When Muawiyah Ibn Siyadah asked Muhammad (SAW) what rights one's woman must enjoy, he replied: To give her to eat when you eat, to buy her clothing when you get new clothes, not to hit her face, nor to call her bad names, nor to forsake her save when at home.
   
   Thirdly: The rights of children:

• اللّٰهُ فِيْٓ اَوْلَادِكُمْ ۤ لِلذَّكَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ الْاُنْثَيَيْنِ ۚ فَاِنْ كُنَّ نِسَاۗءً فَوْقَ اثْنَتَيْنِ فَلَھُنَّ ثُلُثَا مَا تَرَكَ ۚ وَاِنْ كَانَتْ وَاحِدَةً فَلَھَا النِّصْفُ ۭ وَلِاَبَوَيْهِ لِكُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِّنْهُمَا السُّدُسُ مِمَّا تَرَكَ اِنْ كَانَ لَهٗ وَلَدٌ ۚ فَاِنْ لَّمْ يَكُنْ لَّهٗ وَلَدٌ وَّوَرِثَهٗٓ اَبَوٰهُ فَلِاُمِّهِ الثُّلُثُ ۚ فَاِنْ كَانَ لَهٗٓ اِخْوَةٌ فَلِاُمِّهِ السُّدُسُ مِنْۢ بَعْدِ وَصِيَّةٍ يُّوْصِيْ بِھَآ اَوْ دَيْنٍ ۭ اٰبَاۗؤُكُمْ وَاَبْنَاۗؤُكُمْ لَا تَدْرُوْنَ اَيُّھُمْ اَقْرَبُ لَكُمْ نَفْعًا ۭ فَرِيْضَةً مِّنَ اللّٰهِ ۭاِنَّ اللّٰهَ كَانَ عَلِيْمًا حَكِـيْمًا۔

اللہ تعالٰی تمہیں اولاد کے بارے میں حکم کرتا ہے کہ ایک لڑکے کا حصہ دو لڑکیوں کے برابر ہےاور اگر صرف لڑکیاں ہی ہوں اور دو سے زیادہ ہوں تو انہیں مال متروکہ کا دو تہائی ملے گااور اگر ایک ہی لڑکی ہو تو اس کے لئے آدھا ہے اور میت کے ماں باپ میں سے ہر ایک لئے اس کے چھوڑے ہوئے مال کا چھٹا حصہ ہے اگر اس میت کی اولاد ہواگر اولاد نہ ہو اور ماں باپ وارث ہوتے ہوں تو اس کی ماں کے لئے تیسرا حصہ ہےہاں اگر میت کے کئی بھائی ہوں تو پھر اس کی ماں کا چھٹا حصہ ہےیہ حصے اس کی وصیت (کی تکمیل) کے بعد ہیں جو مرنے والا کر گیا ہو یا ادائے قرض کے بعد تمہارے باپ ہوں یا تمہارے بیٹے تمہیں نہیں معلوم کہ ان میں سے کون تمہیں نفع پہنچانے میں زیادہ قریب ہےیہ حصے اللہ تعالٰی کی طرف سے مقرر کردہ ہیں بیشک اللہ تعالٰی پورے علم اور کامل حکمتوں والا ہے۔

“Allah has thus enjoined you concerning your children.” (Al Nisaa 11)
 

• تَقْتُلُوْٓا اَوْلَادَكُمْ خَشْـيَةَ اِمْلَاقٍ ۭ نَحْنُ نَرْزُقُهُمْ وَاِيَّاكُمْ ۭ اِنَّ قَتْلَهُمْ كَانَ خِطْاً كَبِيْرًا۔

اور مفلسی کے خوف سے اپنی اولاد کو نہ مار ڈالو، ان کو تم کو ہم ہی روزی دیتے ہیں۔ یقیناً ان کا قتل کرنا کبیرہ گناہ ہے۔

“You shall not kill your children for fear of want. We will provide for them and for you. To kill them is a great sin.”( Bani Israel 31)

Our prophet says:

1. Be affectionate to children and have pity on them. Fulfill your promises to them for they see that only you provide for their maintenance.
2. He, whoever has a boy, should behave like a child when treating, or dealing with him.
3. Look after your children and let their manners be good.
4. Fear Allah and treat your children with justice.
5. Give to children equally; if I should prefer someone of them I would rather the females.
6. Whoever is not kind to our children or does not give honor to our elders does not belong to our community.
7. Whosoever supplies three girls (daughters) or three sisters with sustenance it becomes incumbent upon Allah to enter him in His paradise.
8. A certain man asked Muhammad: What rights does this son of mine have? He answered: Choose him a good name, teach him good manners and establish for him a proper position in life.
    

Fourth: Rights of parents:

Allah says:

وَقَضٰى رَبُّكَ اَلَّا تَعْبُدُوْٓا اِلَّآ اِيَّاهُ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ اِحْسَانًا ۭ اِمَّا يَبْلُغَنَّ عِنْدَكَ الْكِبَرَ اَحَدُهُمَآ اَوْ كِلٰـهُمَا فَلَا تَـقُلْ لَّهُمَآ اُفٍّ وَّلَا تَنْهَرْهُمَا وَقُلْ لَّهُمَا قَوْلًا كَرِيْمًا۔

اور تیرا پروردگار صاف صاف حکم دے چکا ہے تم اس کے سوا اور کسی کی عبادت نہ کرنا اور ماں باپ کے ساتھ احسان کرنا۔ اگر تیری موجودگی میں ان میں سے ایک یا دونوں بڑھاپے کو پہنچ جائیں تو ان کے آگے اف تک نہ کہنا، نہ انہیں ڈانٹ ڈپٹ کرنا بلکہ ان کے ساتھ ادب و احترام سے بات کرنا

“Your Lord has enjoined you to worship none but Him, and to show kindness to your parents. If either or both of them attain old age in your presence, show them no sign of impatience, nor rebuke them; but speak to them kind words. Treat them with humility and tenderness and say: My Lord, be merciful to them. They nursed me when I was an infant.” (Bani  Israel 23)

1. When Muhammad was asked for his appreciation of parents he answered: They are one's paradise or hell.
2. He also taught: The Lord's pleasure results from theirs, and His wrath is the outcome of theirs.

When Muhammad was consulted how one could be dutiful to his parents after their death he replied: To exhort Allah in blessing them and for giving them His pardon; fulfillment of their promises thereafter; conferring favors or affection upon their relatives, and being beneficent and kindly to their friends.

Fifth: Rights of kin and relatives:

Kin are those who are related to us or our relatives, like brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, uncles, aunts, and cousins (paternal and maternal). Kinship among people is like the string, or thread, that links the separate beads to make one necklace having one name, one lineage and one heritage. This necklace is the family which gives rise to the formation of the nation which is the second most extensive family. When family members are closely connected, kindred spirits with mutual sympathies, and have the similar feelings regarding their needs, it results in the unification of the nation, its consolidation, and coherence. The interests of the individual are those of the whole community and vice versa. If charitable deeds are desirable among people in general, by virtue of the common right of being human and among faithful believers in particular, by virtue of their religious fraternity, then charity practiced among kin and relatives is more desirable and necessary, for this relationship has been greatly emphasized in Holy commandments and in the traditions of the Prophet.

Allah says:

وَالَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا مِنْۢ بَعْدُ وَهَاجَرُوْا وَجٰهَدُوْا مَعَكُمْ فَاُولٰۗىِٕكَ مِنْكُمْ ۭ وَاُولُوا الْاَرْحَامِ بَعْضُهُمْ اَوْلٰى بِبَعْضٍ فِيْ كِتٰبِ اللّٰهِ ۭاِنَّ اللّٰهَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيْم۔

اور جو لوگ اس کے بعد ایمان لائے اور ہجرت کی اور تمہارے ساتھ ہو کر جہاد کیا۔ پس یہ لوگ بھی تم میں سے ہی ہیں  اور رشتے ناطے والے ان میں سے بعض بعض سے زیادہ نزدیک ہیں اللہ کے حکم میں  بیشک اللہ تعالٰی ہرچیز کا جاننے والا ہے۔

“According to the book of Allah those who are bound by ties of blood are nearest to one another.”( Al Anfal 75)

Muhammad (SAW) said the following:

1. By Allah who has sent me forward He does not accept the alms of someone that spends on others while he has relatives in need of his alms. By Allah, He will be displeased with him on the Day of Judgment.
2. One's kin or clan (are attached) to Allah's Throne saying: Allah, bless him who observes rights of kinship and sever him who severs the bonds of kinship
3. He, whoever likes to be better off and to have a longer life should look after his kin.
4. Dutifulness and observing the rules of consanguinity have the quickest recompense of goodness, but injustice and breaking with one's relatives receive the quickest penalty of evil.
5. A severer of the bonds of kinship never enters into paradise.
    

“Help one another in what is good and pious, not in what is sinful and wicked.” (Al Maida 3)

This is the holy injunction that regulates and governs conduct and life in the national family. Muslims' souls and spirits are reinforced by moral virtues and practical precepts that make the homeland a paradise of bliss. These can be summarized by some of the traditions of Muhammad as follows:

1. None is considered to be a true believer unless he loves and wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself.

2. You shall not enter paradise until you believe, and you shall not be true believers until you love one another.

3. In Islam offense and injury are banned.

C. THE THIRD FAMILY: THE LARGEST ONE

This is the Family of mankind that stretches across borders and countries, and encompasses all mankind. It recognizes no color or creed, and stretches across the boundaries of time. It is the brotherhood of mankind that began with Adam and will continue till the end of time.

Islam gives due regard to all human beings anywhere, treating them with honor and respect. Allah says:

We have bestowed blessings on Adam's children. (Bani Israel 70)


Islam necessitates all this so that all people may live on God's earth happy and free, away from anger or envy, vanity or wrong doing. Man's concern shall be assisting his fellow men and giving them enough food and wealth. Muhammad says: He never believed in me even for an hour of a day he who eats his fill and knows that his neighbor is hungry.

The Muslim Arabs in Madinah were used to giving alms to Muslim and non-Muslim poor people. When the number of poor Muslims increased, Muslims confined their alms to poor Muslims only. 
 

In the longest Sura in the Quran, Allah says:

لَيْسَ عَلَيْكَ ھُدٰىھُمْ وَلٰكِنَّ اللّٰهَ يَهْدِيْ مَنْ يَّشَاۗءُ ۭ وَمَا تُنْفِقُوْا مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَلِاَنْفُسِكُمْ ۭ وَمَا تُنْفِقُوْنَ اِلَّا ابْتِغَاۗءَ وَجْهِ اللّٰهِ ۭوَمَا تُنْفِقُوْا مِنْ خَيْرٍ يُّوَفَّ اِلَيْكُمْ وَاَنْتُمْ لَا تُظْلَمُوْنَ۔

انہیں ہدایت پر کھڑا کرنا تیرے ذمے نہیں بلکہ ہدایت اللہ تعالٰی دیتا ہے جسے چاہتا ہے اور تم جو بھلی چیز اللہ کی راہ میں دو گے اس کا فائدہ خود پاؤ گے۔ تمہیں صرف اللہ کی رضامندی کی طلب کے لئے ہی خرچ کرنا چاہئے تم جو کچھ مال خرچ کرو گے اس کا پورا پورا بدلہ تمہیں دیا جائے گا  اور تمہارا حق نہ مارا جائیگا

It is not for you to guide them. Allah gives guidance to whom He will. Whatever alms you give shall rebound to your own advantage, provided that you give it for the love of Allah. And whatever alms you give shall be paid back to you in full: you shall not be wronged. (Al Baqra 272)

Islam has ordained that the human family shall resemble the mother who loves her children equally: she gives to all of them without discrimination between them. Here on earth we yearn for a kind of life for all in which right, justice and equality prevail, big guns are silent forever, and the hands of men work for the advantage of their fellow men. However, we must realize that in this international family there are many nations which are oppressed and down-trodden, whose sanctuaries have been desecrated and whose resources and possessions have been plundered. These nations are badly in need of an international family that aids, supports and restores their lands and helps them to regain their rights, so that injustice and untruth cannot prevail. However, the creation of such a caring international family requires that it first educate itself with the teachings of the Divine guidance. Thus, not only will peace be achieved but also love brotherhood, cooperation and happiness for all.

Finally, let's hope mankind will accept responsibility towards the realization of such a family. The gauntlet has been thrown. Will man then accept this most important challenge?

Conclusion:

As we discussed above Islam is a divine religion and it protects human race as well as the rights of humanity. Family is the basic unit of society and Islam protects the rights of all family members which ever may be their relation. It provides certain rights to husband and wife, parents and children, and even the rights of relatives. Muslim personal law provides us a guideline to deal with our relations and also protects our rights against one another and imposes some duties as well.