Muslim Parenting

The following is a talk given at Masjid Omar al-Farouk in Orange County, California (USA). The speaker is Br. Shareef el-Arbi, a community youth leader. Br. Shareef speaks about his experiences growing up in the US, as well as what he has come to know from the youth he works with. The talk is fairly frank about the issues Muslim teens face and mash’Allah is also filled with guidelines for parents (with examples from the sunnah and Qur’an). Good, inspiring and cautionary video for Muslims raising children in the West.

The Islam and Infertility website is a comprehensive guide aimed at helping Muslim couples struggling with conceiving a child.

The website authors write,”In many Muslim communities it is often considered a taboo to discuss the topic of infertility openly. Although 1 in 12 couples face infertility problems when trying to conceive a child. And while in many cultures the woman is blamed and shunned by the community, we inshallah would like to shed some light on the situation, in hopes that women will no longer feel ashamed in such an ordeal. It is hard enough for a woman who has difficulty conceiving, having a natural desire to feel a child grow in her womb, to have to deal with cultural ignorances as well.”

The site touches on all sorts of topics relevant to couples dealing with infertility, including pregnancy in the Qur’an, miscarriage, multifetal pregnancy reduction, surrogacy, latest conception drugs and technologies, adoption, masturbation (in order to secure sperm samples) and much more.

Each topic is looked at in light of the Qur’an and Sunnah - ayat and hadiths are cited and various scholarly rulings presented.

The site is rounded out by a recommended reading list and access to a fertility discussion list for muslimahs.

Truly an invaluable resource for Muslim families dealing with this issue.

Here Umm Zaid of Modernmuslima.com gives a detailed explanation of the merits of breastfeeding and even covers its mention in the Qur’an and praying while breastfeeding.

Worth a read, especially if you are pregnant and are deciding between feeding your baby naturally or feeding her with a bottle.

First posted on August 6, 2006.

We all know that being a mother can be quite a responsibility and indeed burden - this is acknowledged several times in the Qur’an. But as Hesham Hassaballa spotlights in his article, “The Difficulties of Being A Muslim Dad,” that Muslim fathers also shoulder [if they step up to the tasks] weighty obligations.

He writes,“As a Muslim father, I must shoulder an enormous responsibility, both fiscal and religious, and this responsibility is first encountered before I even have any children at all.” You can view the full article here.

First posted on August 14, 2006.