The Impact Of Islamic Moral Values On Parent - Child Relationship In Secular Multicultural Societies

This essay will analyse akhlaq[footnoteRef:1] and adab[footnoteRef:2] rules related to parents and children as well as critically analysing the challenges and dilemmas to maintain the Islamic moral values of the parents to their children in the Muslim communities living in a secular society of Multifaith’s and cross-cultures. Islamic Moral values play a significant part in the daily lives of both the parents and children and it reflects and stems through to the larger community and clearly visible to society who displays those Islamic moral values as it is very evident on the individual. What truly concerns some of the Muslims today isn’t the importance of the Islamic Morale to them, but instead how the Minority-Muslims could oblige the nearness of different qualities of other populated prevailing societies, sometimes of which they share a similar position on their values. Morales is fundamental for civilisation. For without it man can’t live with his fellowmen, since relations among him and others are dictated by the qualities he holds. Each social network has a framework or set of qualities based on which it chooses for itself considering an activity or thing as good or bad. This thought of good also, is relative, since it contrasts from individual to individual with the end goal that each chooses such and such deed or thing as a good or bad through the experience he had. They append to these qualities so steadily that they will even conflict with all chances to maintain these qualities paying little heed to it being acceptable or something else. [1: Akhlaq, the plural of khuluq in Arabic, means character and temperament of a person.] [2: Adab is the Islamic term used for a person’s good character and breeding. There is no single English word that is equivalent to Adab.]

Islamic morales is a way of life that affects every facet of life. Therefore, Islamic Law not only regulates legal rights and obligations, but also non-legal matters, and provides moral guidance for human conduct in general. According to the Hanafi jurist, Ibn ‘Abidin[footnoteRef:3] (d. 1834), “the affairs of religion are founded on five matter and Moral values(adab) is amongst them.”[footnoteRef:4] Morals which is the investigation or study of ethics, can be isolated into the theoretical and the practical. Theoretical profound quality is worried about ideas that establish the standards and the guidelines of profound quality. Practical profound quality (adab) is worried about the obligations that establish the premise of ethical life. Adab is to observe the practice of the Prophet (PBUH)[footnoteRef:5], that is, the Sunnah. “Adab is to do what he did both with the obligatory practices as well as the non-obligatory matters.”[footnoteRef:6] [3: A Hanafiyy scholar] [4: Gulcur, M.K (2009)] [5: It is an abbreviation meaning of peace be upon him for the Prophet Muhammad.] [6: (Gulcur, 2009)]

Modelling good character in society, especially in the family, is essential in bringing up kids with good character. A child who is respectful to family members will be respectful to others in society. Being a person of good character can best be achieved by, learning what is good and bad, witnessing good conduct in daily life, and imitating personal examples with one’s parents. As was mentioned “Good character is not only taught but it can also be caught” [footnoteRef:7] There are many examples from the life of the Prophet (PBUH) which demonstrate the compassion that should be shown towards children. Such as the Prophet’s (PBUH) granddaughter, Umama, would climb on the Prophet’s shoulders and back as he led the prayer. And the time where the Prophet (PBUH) would shorten the prayer if he heard a child cry this would be done to teach them the compassion between the parents to their children and they act like a reflection on a mirror with their behaviour towards them. Good Morales and behaviours are the cornerstone for the child in any secular society for the betterment of the child and the parent. [7: (Gulcur, 2009, p. 34).

The impact of Islamic morales in a multicultural secular society is of greater importance than some might think. It is of greater importance for parents to pave the way for their children to uphold the Islamic Morales especially at a time of great sedition and hardships for many children growing up and for parents raising their children face many difficulties. Many children find it hard to interact with a secular environment hence the importance from the parents on loving, respecting, and treating them with compassion is of very high importance especially since children tend to feed off the other children’s poor behaviours growing up whether it be at school or other environments and situations the parent plays a vital part in educating the child on the best Morales and teachings as the child is similar to a good seed will that will achieve the happiness of religion and the world when taught and educated. There are challenges faced by the children growing up in a secular society as a Muslim child this environment can totally destroy the boy and change the behaviour and mentality of the child and can have major consequences when they grow of often causing trouble in the community and heading towards petty crimes, misbehaviour at school, becoming distant with his immediate family, disrespecting the elderly or other individuals and other types of ugly traits that can be associated with this environment, hence the onus is on the parent to form that bond with their children by educating them on the Islamic values and Morales as well displaying them for the child to attach themselves to them and imitating the good.

The parents are encouraged to also recite on the child at the time of delivery, call of Adhaan[footnoteRef:8] and Iqaama[footnoteRef:9],perform Tahneek[footnoteRef:10],naming the child with a good name, circumcision for a male child, and treating the child with softness and love will help by the will of God to nurture the child into having good morales and protect him from the bad characters and behaviour. The child also displays good behaviour to his parents and expresses gratefulness towards both by trying to please them and earn their acceptance by serving them in what they request from them without disobeying them. Accordingly, any value accepted by a Muslim that is in agreement with the Divine rules and prohibitions is considered as Islamic value, even if there is no explicit command from Him regarding the value. It is in this aspect all those values, which society imposes from time to time, that are in agreement with the principles mentioned in the Qur ‘an and the Sunnah are considered as Islamic values, even if the society is a non-Muslim society such as a secular one. This doesn’t mean the good values of all cultures are Islamic, however when one considers some of the conflicting good values between cultures achieving a good end by a bad means is not good at all, because it would justify all bad values if they were tied to good ends. For example, the caption ‘If you drink go public’. This caption for many it is an encouragement as much as a challenge. But for a Muslim, it will land him in double trouble, the first for drinking and another for going public while drunk. This, certainly, is not a good value for Muslims in society. [8: The call for the Prayer time] [9: The call for the prayer about to commence] [10: Tahneek is to chew the date into a soft pulp and apply this pulp on the palate of the infant.]

In conclusion, the Important of the Islamic Morales from a parent and child relationship that has been prescribed to us from the Qurán and the Sunnah is very important for the child to develop these Morales, especially when faced in a secular society that one faces many challenges living in this particular environment. Although there have been cases of what has the appearance of good values in the secular environment many of them replicate the Islamic teachings and the ones that don’t aren’t a divine source of knowledge, therefore, is prone to error, confusion, and disagreement between the people in the society as these Morales aren’t set in stone.

Bibliography

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4. Guldur, Musa Kazim. 2009. “Practicing good conduct in the family.” In Good Character. Lanham: Tughra Books. 34-54.
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