Pars Today

Welcome to this week's episode of the series "Iranian Family". Throughout this series, we spoke of the importance of family and its role in the personal and social fate of mankind. We also mentioned the factors which reinforce and/or shake the foundation of family.

In this regard, role models can play a significant part. The sacred religion of Islam presents a number of criteria for establishment of families. The further compatible are the pillars of family with these criteria; the further superior the related families will be. Holy Quran states a number of features for the most superior men and women; from which the superior and merited families can be spotted.

The superiority of family lies in the related family's superiority in fulfillment of humane virtues and Islamic values; as a result of which merited children are brought up.

Holy Quran introduces four types of familial characteristic traits, which are namely spouses who carry out and cooperate in good deeds; spouses who collaborate in misdeeds and wrongdoings; families within which the married man is good, however his wife is evil; and families within which the married woman carries out good deeds, but her husband engages in misdeeds and wrongdoings.

Today, we mention a family within which the woman maintains a divine and spiritual characteristic trait but her husband has sacrificed his human identity and values for his carnal desires and whims. An example of such a married woman is Asiyah, who was the spouse of the Pharaoh. She was a famed and beautiful woman. Upon entry to Pharaoh's palace, Asiyah highly helped and assisted her contemporary people.

Asiyah didn't like to live next to an unjust, stubborn, and a disbelieving husband, however, she had patiently set her hopes on changing her husband, warning him against his evil deeds. Upon realizing that the luxurious lifestyle of Pharaoh does not fulfill her, she kept her faith and refused to commit sins, while abiding by God Almighty.

She was one of the first individuals who established faith in the prophet hood of Moses and his monotheistic religion. Pharaoh first tried to obstruct Asiyah from maintaining faith in Prophet Moses, but to no avail. At this point, Pharaoh claimed that Asiyah had gone mad, while Asiyah continued to maintain her faith in the one and only creator of the world, God Almighty.  

Religion and spirituality provide avenues for mankind to gain an in-depth understanding of life. In today's modern community, religious and spiritual individuals are healthier than the rest of people; given that religious people maintain healthy behavior and have reached spiritual maturity and identity. Spirituality results in purity, selflessness, containment of carnal desires, good deeds and good intentions, and growth and development of a positive mindset.

Pharaoh's ruthlessness and corruption targeted Asiyah. He tortured Asiyah, while permitting her to return to his palace, if she would no longer maintain faith in God. However, Asiyah, who had reached an elevated spiritual status, refused to do so, while praying to God Almighty in the final moments of her life.

Asiyah saved Prophet Moses in his childhood and kindly raised him. Thereafter, this insightful woman established faith in the prophet hood of Moses, and turned into a flagbearer of monotheism.

The second type of family which Holy Quran introduces is a family, within which the man is among divine prophets, and has reached the peak of spiritual virtues and good deeds, however, his wife continues to insist on her polytheism, while accompanying disbelievers. In this regard, Holy Quran refers to the spouses of Prophet Noah and Prophet Lot.

The 10^th ayah of Surat al-Tahrim in Holy Quran notes: "Allah draws an example for the faithless: the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot. They were under two of our righteous servants, yet they betrayed them. So they did not avail them in any way against Allah, and it was said to them, 'Enter the
Fire, along with those who enter it.'

Marriage is the main and most important chapter of mankind's life. Hence, one should choose one's spouse with sufficient precision and understanding. One who wants to establish a family considers a series of criteria. One of the most important criteria for selection of one's future spouse is faith in God and honesty. However, throughout history, some of the spouses of prophets opposed the righteous beliefs of their husbands, such as the wife of Prophet Noah and the wife of Prophet Lot. Prophet Noah's wife baselessly claimed the he was insane and if anyone would bring faith in Noah, she would immediately inform polytheists on this matter. Prophet Noah had to deal with an ignorant and blatant tribe, while also remaining cautious at his home.

The wife of Prophet Lot was also a disbeliever and a hypocrite.

MR/ME