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Family Life in 21st Century (UR-460): Course outline (UR-460)

Course description

The main purpose of this course is to prepare students in responding to contemporary challenges family as an institution is facing at national and a global level.

Home plays a vital role in transfer of value, mannerism, and development of personality. An individual is born, brought up, and trained in family-atmosphere; this leaves an everlasting impression on one’s personality and character. Human character and habits are formed at home. This influence not only on human’s life pattern but also on his role in society. The Qur’an lays great emphasis on family life and provides guidance on good family. A well knitted family system serves as solid foundation for the society and building future of mankind. It is time to contemplate on the foundations, on which family life is built in the contemporary world and compare it with the guidelines provided by Islam.

The course creates awareness about family system in Islam and role of family is social development. It helps the students in understanding basic challenges of modernity and their possible solutions in the light of the Qur’an and Sunnah. This course focuses on theoretical and practical aspects of family life in Islam, well-being of children, parenting, and roles and responsibilities of parents in 21st century changing social paradigm, and the health and well-being of adults.

Course contents

Part-I

Unit I: Concept of Family: Definitions & Classification

  • Meaning and definitions of family
  • Classification of family system in various cultures
  • Concept of family in Islam

Unit II: Need for and Importance of Family

  • Core objectives & functions of the family
  • Importance of family in the society

Unit III: Family Systems: Historical & Contemporary Perspectives

  • Eastern & Western family systems

 

  • Family system in Pakistan
  • The Feminism Dilemma: Issues and Problems created by Feminism

Unit IV: Islamic Family System Vs. Contemporary Family Systems

  • The Family in Islam: Basic principles in the Qur’an
  • Islamic model for family life
  • Comparison of Islamic family system with contemporary family systems

Unit V: Ethical Foundations of Family Life

  • Selection criteria for the husband
  • Selection criteria for the wife
  • Advantages of Islamic selection methodology

Unit VI: Concept of Marriage (Nikah) in Islam

  • Significance and objectives of Nikah
  • Nikah and its elements
  • Formal requirements of matrimony
  • Mehr & Dowry issues

Unit VII: Ethical Issues relating to Marriage in Pakistani Society

  • Local customs and Islam
  • Monogamy Vs. Polygamy Islamic perspective

Course Contents Family Life in 21st Century: Part-II

Unit VIII: Ethical Roles of Husband and Wife for Successful Marriage

  • The Husband’s ethical obligations: The Wife’s ethical rights
  • The Wife’s ethical obligations: The Husband’s ethical rights

Unit IX: Ethical Obligations of Spouses towards Parents and Others

  • Ethical obligations/ rights towards parents
  • Ethical obligations/ rights towards in-laws and relatives

Unit X: Development of Family Relationships: Constructors and Destructors

  • Akhlaq-e-Hasanah (Good Ethics) and family construction
  • Akhlaq-e-Siyyiah (Bad Ethics) and family destruction

Unit XI: Ethical Roles of Parents for Upbringing Children

  • The Islamic ethical model for parenting
  • Responsibilities of parents: Rights of children
  • Responsibilities of children: Rights of parents

Unit XII: Strategies for Developing Islamic Home Environment

  • Establishing obligatory prayers and Nawafil
  • Understanding and reciting the Qur’an
  • Reading Hadith books & Islamic literature
  • Memorizing and supplicating daily-life supplications
  • Listening and watching Islamic lectures, audios, videos and programs

Unit XIII: Challenges & Issues of Family Life in Pakistan and their Islamic Solutions

  • Male & Female domestic violence

 
  • Dissolution of Muslim marriage [Talaq (divorce), Khula’ (divestiture/self- redemption),
  • Issues of children/child custody
  • Issues of inheritance
  • Digital addiction
  • Female jobs issues

 

Course objectives

General Objectives

 a .On successful completion of this course, the students will be able:

    •  
  • To have awareness about the fundamentals of family life
  • To identify the factors (psychological, social, and emotional) which destabilize family life
  • To understand and be able to apply teaching of the Qur’an and Sunnah in their life
  • To bring behavioral change as per Islamic teachings in family life and develop a balanced personality
  • To develop skills needed for home management and conflict resolution

  •  

b.Specific Objectives

  • Knowledge
  • To understand purpose of family life from Islamic perspective
  • To compare and contrast the foundations of family life in Islam and other cultures
  • To recognize psychological, social and emotional factors that may destabilize family life
  • To understand reasons for variance in issues like divorce, inheritance, child custody, personal freedom and their Islamic resolutions
  • To learn the Qur’anic and sunnah approach in building responsible, caring, benevolent and fair Islamic social orders
  • Skills
  • Learn to deal with situations in everyday family life
  • To build capacity of home management and conflict resolution

  • Attitude/ Behaviour

  • To enhance a positive approach of rahmah, ta’awun in good and submission ‘ubudiyah, to Allah s.w.t. in family life
  • To develop a balanced and fair personality, observant of its responsibilities toward society and state

Textbooks

Teaching-learning Strategies

Teaching will be done through the lecture method with a combination of tasks/projects and presentations