[Stacypettlerr]

The more one looks at the Islamic teachings the more one is struck by their significance and wisdom. They teach the importance of maintaining kinship and family ties. Whoever keeps good relations with family and kin will get a long life, their prayers will be answered etc. etc. Serve your parents and obey them as far as possible, parents love and respect your children and teach them the deen.

Why are these laws emphasised so much? In the time of the Prophet people generally were closer to their kin so why were such teachings given importance? It was for us living today in vast cities with a mechanised form of life where we are too busy with the dunya and we live isolated lives in our box houses with nuclear families or on our own. Communities are broken, families are broken, individuals are broken consumers. The kuffar way of life does not know what life is for. Is it so we can create great pyramids, or great monuments, factories and products so we can live comfortably until we die? The more we produce and consume the better our life? Just spend our lives trying to make things better with no Allah, religion or a belief in life after death (atheism or secular humanism).

Islam challenges this kafir view of life, it tells us we are here created by Allah as khalifs of Allah. That we are to obey Allah and worship Him, that if we keep, maintain and strengthen kinship ties with this in mind we will create human communities with highly enlightened individuals who put others before themselves (futtuwa or chivalry) and we can make the life of this world a more pleasant and blessed journey.