Reformation of homes

All praise be to Allah and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone who has no partner and I bear witness that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger.

Reformation of homes is a trust in the neck of every male and female Muslim who seek Allah's Pleasure by good rearing of their offspring in a way contributes in building a Muslim society. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "O you who believe! Ward off yourselves and your families against a Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones, over which are (appointed) angels stern (and) severe, who disobey not, (from executing) the Commands they receive from Allâh, but do that which they are commanded." [Surat At-Tahrim: 6].

Of these steps that help reforming homes are the following:

1- Caring for implanting the sound belief in the hearts of family members and warning them against polytheism by all its type as Allah (may He be Exalted) says about Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him): "And keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols." [Surat Ibrahim: 35].

Abraham is the leader of believers, nevertheless, he feared to fall into polytheism. Ibrahim At-Taimy said: Who can be secure of affliction after Abraham (peace be upon him)?[1]

2- Exhorting family members to Salah in their due times kindly and leniently. Children are commanded to perform Salah in congregation, whereas it is better for women to offer Salah at home as Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "And enjoin As-Salat (the prayer) on your family, and be patient in offering them [i.e. the Salat (prayers)]." [Surat Taha: 132].

Allah (may He be Exalted) said about Prophet Ishmael: "And he used to enjoin on his family and his people As-Salat (the prayers) and the Zakat, and his Lord was pleased with him." [Surat Maryam: 55].

Abu Dawud reported in his Sunan from the Hadith of `Amr ibn Shu`ayb from his father on the authority of his grandfather that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Command your children to pray when they become seven years old, beat them for not offering it when they reach ten years of age, and arrange their beds (to sleep) separately."[2]

Ibn Al Qayyim (may Allah bestow mercy on his soul) said: Whoever neglects teaching his children things which are useful to them has done wrong. Most children were corrupted by their parents' negligence and not teaching them the obligations and Sunan of their religion so they wasted them when they were young and did not benefit neither themselves nor their parents when they grow up.[3]

3- Taking deniable acts out of homes such as photos, statues, amulets, crosses, among others. Imam Muslim reported in his Sahih from the Hadith of Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said to Abu Al Hayyaj Al Asady: "Shall I send you to do a task that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) had assigned to me? Spare no statue unwiped out, leave not a high grave unlevelled, and leave not a portrait undefamed." [4]

It is obligatory on a Muslim to defame photos and portraits and remove them from home as possible. If there are photos or portraits at home hung on walls, on stand such as statues, or painted on papers such as animals, birds, humans, or anything that has a soul, they must be removed. The Prophet (peace be upon him) became angry when he saw a curtain containing images which `A'ishah placed on the wall. [5]

Al Bukhari and Muslim reported in their books of authentic Hadiths from the Hadith of Abu Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him) who narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Angels do not enter a house which has either a dog or a picture (of an animal) in it."[6]

If the family needs a watchdog, it should be placed in a special place outside the house.

4- Keenness to family reunion, linkage and solidarity with great esteem and respect, showing mercy to the young, kind treatment to parents for it is one of the greatest righteous deeds, and showing softness and leniency when dealing with its members. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "And say to My slaves (i.e. the true believers of Islâmic Monotheism) that they should (only) say those words that are the best. (Because) Shaitân (Satan) verily, sows a state of conflict and disagreements among them. Surely, Shaitân (Satan) is to man a plain enemy." [Surat Al Isra': 53].

Imam Ahmad reported in his Musnad from the Hadith of `A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Verily, when Allah wills goodness with a family, He will guide them to the way of gentleness."[7] Accustoming children to good speech, making them avoid ugly speech, and a paterfamilias should observe patience, forbearance, wisdom, and gentleness, for the main reason for dispersing families and leads to the waste of children, cutting relationships, and generation of enmity and hatred is divorce.

5- Warning against the entry of marriageable men to women in their homes, particularly the relatives of her husband and her parents, for they frequently come home or live together in one building, and sometimes a wife would be home alone when someone of those relatives come. Al Bukhari and Muslim reported in their books of authentic Hadiths from the Hadith of `Uqbah ibn `Amir that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Beware of entering upon the ladies. A man from the Ansar (the Supporters) said: O Messenger of Allah, What about Al-Hamu - the in-laws of the wife - (the brothers of her husband or his nephews etc.)? The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied: The in-laws of the wife are death itself."[8] [8] The Prophet (peace be upon him) likened them with death for their danger and the leniency of people in this matter. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "And when you ask (his wives) for anything you want, ask them from behind a screen." [Surat Al Ahzab: 53].

Sheikh Bakr Abu Zayd said: If men are not allowed to enter to women so they are prohibited to stay alone with them as was proven by other Hadiths. So, asking them for needs should be from behind a screen, and whoever comes in to them has violated the screen.[9]

6- Guiding women and rectifying them, particularly when going out for visits and occasions.

Some women wear tight, exposed, open clothes or pants and that is not permissible whether before their relatives or before other women. Allah (Glory be to Him) says: "Men are the protectors and maintainers of women." [Surat An-Nisa': 34].

In was reported in the Hadith: "There are two types of people who will be punished in Hell and whom I have not seen: Men having whips like the tails of cows and they will be beating people with them, and women who will be dressed but appear to be naked, inviting to evil; and they themselves will be inclined to it. Their heads will appear like the humps of the Bactrian camel inclined to one side. They will not enter Paradise and they will not smell its fragrance which is perceptible from such and such a distance."[10]

7- Broadcasting satellite channels which call to vices and evil, and fighting virtues and belittling them; how many honors they violated? How many Salahs were lost because of them? Likewise channels of music. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "And of mankind is he who purchases idle talks (i.e. music, singing, etc.) to mislead (men) from the Path of Allâh without knowledge, and takes it (the Path of Allâh or the Verses of the Qur'ân) by way of mockery. For such there will be a humiliating torment (in the Hell-fire)." [Surat Luqman: 6].

Al Bukhari and Muslim reported in their books of authentic Hadiths from the Hadith of Ma'qil ibn Yasar that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Any slave whom Allah makes him in charge of subjects and he dies while he is not sincere to them, Allah will make Paradise unlawful for him."[11]

Part of cheating one's family is letting these appliances enter the house to corrupt the religion and morals of family members.

8- Paying attention to the danger of drivers and maidservants at homes, particularly many house cleaners may be young while you have teens at home. One of them may stay alone with these house cleaners then the sedition and evil take place. Some people bring servants and drivers from different religions which is a clear violation to the Prophet's saying where he said: "I shall certainly expel the Jews and Christians from the Arabian Peninsula until I leave only Muslims there."[12]

Moreover, by mixing with unbelievers, a Muslim loses the sense of the difference between Muslims and non-Muslims gradually which surely affects the doctrine of Al-Wala' wal-Bara' (loyalty and disassociation for Allah's Sake) in the hearts of Muslims. Therefore, servants and drivers must be brought from Muslim countries in the time of need along with taking into consideration the Shari`ah-based aspects.

9- Cooperation among family members to organize family life inside and outside home by organizing times where sleep and wakefulness are scheduled. They should help one another to economize living, leaving out expenditure, and urging to cleanness. In addition to other matters to which the Shari`ah exhorted, manners called to, and are in harmony with healthy aspects of sound life.

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds [i.e., people]. May Allah send His Peace and Blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and all his Companions!