If the family is good then a tree with flowers and fruits comes into existence...

If the family is good then a tree with flowers and fruits comes into existence, but if the family is not good then poisonous plants and trees come out of it. This is the first system which has been given to the human being, in which he has to live with his own will. And with his own will and intentions performs his duties by taking benefits from this environment of a family. A family is essential, not just because a human being cannot fulfil his needs for physical growth without a family.

In fact, the physical growth of a human being takes place even without a family; somehow even the orphans live and grow. Those orphans who have no one to feed and provide them shelter and clothing, they also somehow manage to grow physically without a family. The physical growth of a human being does not stop without a family. The main essence of growth for a human being is the growth of attributes of humanity inside him, his spiritual growth and discipline of his soul.

The role of family is more for the soul than for the body. Even marital relation between a man and woman, where they need each other, is more for spiritual needs than physical needs. Similarly a child needs his parents for his spiritual growth more than physical growth. On the physical side anyone can feed him, you don't need parents. But his spiritual growth, education and perfection cannot be achieved without parents and the system of a family.

Hence a family in reality is a school and not just a feeding centre. The growth and development of a human being spiritually is also limited inside a family, this is not because family has limitations, it is because the dimensions and abilities of a human soul are so high that a family cannot fulfil all the needs of the soul. I take an example over here of some plants which are planted in flower pots where they grow for some time.

After a certain period of time, they cannot grow further inside the pot, now they should be transferred to a garden or a farm. This is because it has to further grow into a strong tree and bear fruits, and this is not possible from within a small flower pot. Family is essential for the growth of a human being, but its role and significance is limited to the likelihood of a flower pot. This means this human being needs at some stage of his growth, a system larger than this system of family.

Without this larger system in place a human being can never achieve perfection. This larger system can be termed as a society or a nation (Ummah).