ABWA Official Website – On the eve of the Arbaeen of Imam Hussain (a.s.) and the presence of the devotees of that Imam in the Arbaeen Walk, the seminar “Arbaeen and the Cultural Expansion of the Family” was held on Monday, September 4, 2023, in the hall of ABNA International News Agency.
In this meeting, Hojat al-Islam Mohammad Reza Zibainejad, head of the Women and Family Research Institute, stated, “The family can serve the development of moral culture, godliness or, on the other hand, serve disbelief.”
“We are not looking for an individualistic family,” he added, “The family has important functions, one of the most important of which is the development of morality in society. The family should revolve around the Wilayah.”
While stressing the necessity of having a guardian for the family, the university and seminary professor said, “Quran says “Men are the managers of women.” The danger that threatens the family is the plurality of guardianship. In a family where the man has dignity, and is truly a man, and the woman follows him, there is no generation gap.”
“Multiplicity in family leadership is a sign of weakness. The same is true in society. That is, becoming two-voiced is a sign of the government’s weakness. Also, if there is one dominant voice in the family, it is a sign of its strength,” he added.
Regarding the mutual duties of spouses in the family, Mr. Zibainejad stated, “With the birth of a child, the mother’s priority should be to be a wife, not to be a mother. Because children need to feel that their parents are important. According to hadiths, one of the felicities of a man is to have a kind wife. Therefore, a woman should believe that her husband, who has weaknesses, should be respected. The wife should give authority to the husband in the family, and in return, the husband should give love to his wife.”
“A man may make mistakes in the family. But his wife should not undermine him. Rather, she should accompany the guardianship of her husband. The accompanying woman in the family has two images; First, the passive companion who says, “Why should I move behind my wife?” She does not understand the logic of this move, and as a result, she cannot transfer this companionship to her next generation. Another image is the dynamic and active wife. It means to be involved with her husband. Therefore, a woman should accompany her husband and pass this companionship on to her children,” he added.
“Social guardianship should be practiced in the family. This issue can be better understood in large families. In other words, the understanding of social responsibility is greater in large families. Also, compromise is more in such families, and when the members of these families enter society, they cope with difficulties better,” he said in another part of his speech.
“The woman should be a companion in the family, and her companionship should be conscious. One of the duties of a wife is to cover the husband’s weaknesses in a way that does not weaken the leadership of the family. The husband should also make the wife the emotional focus. The husband should give affection to the wife so that she can do her duties properly,” said the researcher in the field of women and family.
“It is the woman who institutionalizes chastity in the family. In the hadiths, it is stated that the highest acts of worship are stomach and sexual chastity. The unclean wealth messes up the analysis and the perception, and beauty and ugliness. In the family, sexual chastity and abstinence are very important and should be paid attention to,” he further explained.
About the role of the family in the spread of the movements, he said, “A movement becomes widespread when the family joins it. For example, this happened in the Tobacco Protest or the Islamic Revolution. When a movement comes to the family, it takes root. Therefore, the line of family, society, and social guardianship should be the same. It means that all of them must follow God’s guardianship.”
Regarding the position of Arbaeen among Shiites, the seminary and university professor said, “Arbaeen is a recommended act. According to a hadith of Imam Hassan Askari (a.s.), the Ziyarat Arbaeen is one of the signs of a believer. Some of the ulama also believe that Arbaeen is one of the religious rituals. It can be said that the mentioned hadith of Imam Hassan Askari (a.s.) is political. The Ziyarat Arbaeen was first performed during the time of Imam Hassan Askari (a.s.). But in our era, new events happened that highlighted the Arbaeen Walk. Arbaeen Walk is a good tradition established by the ulama following Jaber ibn Abdullah Ansari, and this ceremony increases the global power of Shia.”
“The Arbaeen Walk goes beyond geography,” he added, “In Arbaeen, we practice the concept of ummah. We also see the concept of the Mahdavi government in Arbaeen. In Arbaeen, normal structures fall apart. Arbaeen is the place for spreading good morals.”
“We spend the surplus of our lives for Imam Hussain (a.s.). While Iraqis pay for Arbaeen from their main life expenses. In Arbaeen, new friendships happen that have never existed before. In Arbaeen, we experience a joy that cannot be experienced anywhere else. If people can go to Arbaeen Walk with their families, it will strengthen family ties,” expressed the head of the Women and Family Research Institute.
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