Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Marriage & the Family (Islam) - Coggle Diagram
Marriage & the Family (Islam)
Marriage
Often, marriages for Muslim men and women are arranged as there is little space for them to socialise outside a formal setting. One of the main reasons for this is that Islam teaches that the only place for sex is between a married couple. Therefore, keeping boys and girls separate prevents promiscuity
Due to the belief that sex should be used as Allah intended (a gift from Allah), Muslims are encouraged to marry young
A boy’s parents will approach a girl’s family before speaking to the girl herself. As part of the marriage, a mahr is arranged - money or possessions are paid by the groom, or by the groom's father, to the bride as a sign of appreciation
Muslims may have up to four wives, but they must treat each wife equally
A Muslim man may marry a Jewish or Christian woman, but a Muslim woman may only marry within her faith
The Muslim wedding ceremony can differ from one Muslim society to another, but there are some common points:
It often takes place within the home or the mosque
There must be a minimum of two witnesses
The Aqd Nikah (solemn contract) is a compulsory part of the wedding – it must be said and also written down. This ensures that both parties have consented to the union
Marriage is the only permitted sexual relationship
Importance of the family
Most religions consider family life to be a blessing and value the stability of marriage
Types of families Islam supports:
Nuclear family - a family unit consisting of two adults and any number of children living together. The children might be biological, step or adopted
Extended family - grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, either all living nearby or within the same household. For example, if a married couple lives with either the husband or wife's parents the family changes from a nuclear to extended household
Reconstituted family - also known as a blended family or step family. A family where one or both adults have children from previous relationships living with them
Contraception
Islam is strongly pro-family and regards children as a gift from God
Muslim sexual ethics forbid sex outside marriage, so its teachings about birth control should be understood within the context of husband and wife
There is no single attitude to contraception within Islam; however eight of the nine classic schools of Islamic law permit it
The Qur'an does not refer to contraception explicitly, but Muslims opposed to birth control often quote the Qur'an as saying "You should not kill your children for fear of want"
In practice most Muslim authorities permit contraception to preserve the health of the mother or the well-being of the family
Divorce
Muhammad did not agree with divorce and said that a couple should try to reconcile before separating
A couple must wait three months after making the decision to make sure that the woman is not pregnant, as it is the responsibility of the man to provide for any of his children
More serious than divorce is adultery. To keep in line with Sharia law, married people who commit adultery within their marriage can be punished by death in Saudi Arabia and Iran
Gender roles
Islam teaches that men and women are equal in the eyes of Allah
It is believed that men and women are not the same, and that they have different purposes
It is believed that it is up to the man to provide for his family financially while it is the woman’s responsibility to look after the home and family
It is the role of the father to make decisions regarding the family, and the woman must be respected within the household. It is normal for a Muslim woman to live with her husband’s family, and her main role is to raise the children and look after the house
Although the rights of women are different to those of men, they do have a number of freedoms. They have the right to choose whom they marry, to divorce, to study, to own property, to conduct business and to take part in politics
"Wives have rights corresponding to those which the husbands have, in equitable reciprocity, though, in certain situations men would have the final word and would thus enjoy a preference." -Qur'an
"Men are appointed guardians over women, because of that in respect of which Allah has made some of them excel others, and because men spend of their wealth." -Qur'an