A husband exercises the right kind of leadership by...

A husband exercises the right kind of leadership by listening to and consulting with his wife. Also, a husband is bound to follow the rules of the Quran and Sunnah of the Prophet (S) and the Ahlul Bait (as). So differences in opinion should be referred back to these sources (and of course the Religious Scholars in our local community), instead of becoming a source of tension and problems.

Save yourselves and your families from the fire which is fueled by people and stones and is guarded by stern angels who do not disobey Allah's (SwT) commands and do whatever they are ordered to do." (Surah 66, Verse 6) Therefore, the head of the house must make sure that he has the proper Islamic knowledge to keep himself away from the hell and more importantly, guide his wife and children to the straight path and keep them on this road.

In this regards, the husband has four important duties: To invite his wife and children and any others under his care to obey Allah (SwT). The husband should call his family to follow the religion and encourage them in this regard. Teach those under his care their religious duties and obligations ñ of course this means that the husband must first and foremost know his own religion and beliefs.

If he is not well acquainted with his religion, then he must employ the services of the local Masjid and the scholars and either invite them to his house or go to the Masjid for Islamic classes. Encourage the family members to perform good deeds (Amr bil Maruf), as not only is this one of the obligatory acts in our religion, but it will also help the family both in the short term and long term.

If they know their responsibilities and are continuously guided to them, then peace, harmony and tranquility will rule throughout the house. The father must also make sure and remind other members of his family to stay away from evil and sin (Nahi Anil Munkar).