Islam's Response to Contemporary Issues — Page 102
102 islam’s response to contemporary issues participate in any healthy pursuit they may choose, providing, again, that they do not jeopardise the interests and rights of the future generation of mankind entrusted to them. Among other reasons, this is why over-socialising or the free mixing of sexes is strongly discouraged by Islam. For Islam to propose that the home is the centre of a woman’s activities is a very wise and practical solution to most ills of modern times. When women shift their interests away from the home it has to be at the cost of family life and the neglect of children. To build a family life around the pivotal figure of a mother requires the strengthening of other blood relationships and the restoration of a genuine affinity with kith and kin. Even though each unit may live separately, this larger family concept is supported and promoted by Islam for many reasons, some of which are as follows: 1. It prevents imbalances from occurring in society. 2. If strong love and affection were promoted in the family between brothers and sisters, father and daughters, mother and sons, etc. , it would naturally lead to the consolidation and protection of a healthy family unit. This natural bonding is further strengthened by a system of relationships surrounding it in the form of genuine affinity and closeness between aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, grandchildren and grandparents. New avenues of seeking warmth and healthy pleasure, derived from the consciousness of belonging, would open up for this larger family system. 3. The institution of family in such cases is less likely to be fragmented. To share a common roof in the name of a family would no longer be as meaningless as we generally find today. The members of the family would continue to gravitate