Families' solidarity between practice and theory

Praise be to Allah and peace be upon His Chosen Servants.

Humanity, with their various intellectual aspects during history, was labored under the burdens of life. It suffered difficulty in finding decent livelihood, although its persistent endeavor to reach that but of no avail. There were communities that material life overwhelmed its way of life and they thought it of great benefit to them. In spite of these abilities, they were burdened with these problems, where their people started to accumulate wealth as much as they can, so they can enjoy the pleasures and desires. They had all right to seek these pleasures, as they claim, because they are lions in the jungle of societies. It does not bother them that ants get some sugar or even does not find any!.

The virtuous human society that humanity has ever dreamt of since the early history, which the philosophers and their followers wrote about, has not been achieved yet and I do not think it to be a reality. We see humanity onetime seeks perfection by glorifying individualism and sometimes glorifies collectively, other times celebrates the construction of building and the destruction of man and other times celebrates an entity that elevates the will of human, leaving it with no limits.

In fact, nobody was safe from this ordeal except those who accepted the Shari`ah of Allah and followed the truth. Therefore, the human and social history witnessed a difficult birth that resulted in solidarity where Islam has put it into practice after the universe was in despair of near salvation, believing that there was no way out of oppression.

Dear reader:

The model of solidarity in the Muslim community throughout history swing between theory and practice, but it was the closest, with no doubt, to the perfect example, when it insisted on its application. The Islamic history has witnessed times of prosperity that made the seekers of wealth abstain from this wealth because it is very reachable, so there is no need to compete about. That unique example in the history of mankind had already been achieved, then we see it today changing into theory rather than practice as if there is a gap between them both. It is still a desired hope and a required example that have been lost.

Therefore, dear reader, I would like to put a brick in this building even if it is a simple brick but putting a small brick is better than not; contribution is better than refraining.

This contribution is an invitation to every respected family in our community to think carefully in achieving moral and physical communication in between and, in turn, to serve as a solid pillar in building the communication of the entire community and to be an important cause in its spiritual and material strength.

We can achieve this family communication through some matters:
First: the establishment of family council of those who are fully aware of its conditions, and of those of high cultural and social status. This Council takes care of the interests of the family, both private and public and conciliation in between in accordance with Allah's saying: "There is no good in most of their secret talks save (in) him who orders Sadaqah (charity in Allâh’s Cause), or Ma‘rûf (Islâmic Monotheism and all the good and righteous deeds which Allâh has ordained), or conciliation between mankind; and he who does this, seeking the good Pleasure of Allâh, We shall give him a great reward." [Surat An-Nisa': 114].

Second: holding periodic —or even annual— meetings for the family to know one another, strengthen the tires of kinship and have mercy among themselves, in response to the description of the prophet (peace be upon him) to the believers by saying: "The similitude of believers in regard to mutual love, affection, fellow-feeling is that of one body; when any limb of it aches, the whole body aches, because of sleeplessness and fever." [Related by Al Bukhari and Muslim].

Third: The establishment of a fund for social solidarity between family members, mainly depend on voluntary annual contributions of their members. We may establish through it a charity endowment as a revenue on their orphans and needy as well as achieving care for the scientifically talented members of the family and establish projects to create suitable job opportunities for them. The Ash`arite did so at the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him), where they would collect the food of their houses in one garment when the food of their children is reduced in Madinah (Medina) then split it equally until they deserved the honor of being affiliated to the Prophet (peace be upon him) by his saying: "They are from me and I am from them."  [Reported by Al Bukhari and Muslim].

Fourth: the issuance of folded letters inside the family to give glimpse at the members of the family and contain their renewed news. The folded letters will also spread the news of the family members, both private and public, and commends those who are prominent in various fields; cultural, scientific, and social in accordance with the Prophet's saying for those who are good: Well done! The Prophet (peace be upon him) repeated this many times as was authentically reported in the Sunnah.

Dear reader:

These are some thoughts which I wrote to open the gates of good, taking into account that many families in our community did not miss that. After all, shall I be ambitious to disseminate this good idea and achieve competition in achieving it?