Theme
الأسرة
Family
al-Usrah
The Companions practised their faith at home first. They paid a late parent's debts, gave charity on a mother's behalf, made room for children even in prayer, and kept ties with relatives who did not share their beliefs.
The practices here are about the people closest to you, and about keeping worship in balance with their rights.
… عَمْرٍو الشَّيْبَانِيَّ، يَقُولُ حَدَّثَنَا صَاحِبُ، هَذِهِ الدَّارِ وَأَشَارَ إِلَى دَارِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَىُّ الْعَمَلِ أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ قَالَ" الصَّلاَةُ عَلَى وَقْتِهَا". قَالَ ثُمَّ أَىُّ قَالَ" ثُمَّ بِرُّ الْوَالِدَيْنِ". قَالَ ثُمَّ أَىُّ قَالَ" الْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ". قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي بِهِنَّ وَلَوِ اسْتَزَدْتُهُ …
“To be good and dutiful to your parents”
68 practices from 46 companions
Open any practice to read it in full on the Companion's page, with the Arabic and English text of every source.
Abd al-Rahman ibn Awfعبد الرحمن بن عوف
Marrying simply and feeding others
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Celebrate with food shared with others, however modest.
Sit with this How could your next celebration feed someone beyond your guests?
Abdullah ibn al-Zubayrعبد الله بن الزبير
Honouring his father by paying his debts
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Settle what a parent owes, and rely on Allah's help.
Sit with this What does a parent of yours still need from you, even after they are gone?
Abdullah ibn al-Zubayrعبد الله بن الزبير
Remembering the Prophet's kindness to children
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Be gentle with children and make time for them.
Sit with this Which child in your life would remember ten minutes of your full attention?
Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-Asعبد الله بن عمرو بن العاص
Balanced night prayer and sleep
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Do not burn yourself out on worship; keep time for rest and family.
Sit with this Does your worship leave room for the rights of your body and the people at home?
Abdullah ibn Mas'udعبد الله بن مسعود
Putting prayer on time and kindness to parents first
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Pray on time, and make a call or visit to a parent a regular part of your week.
Sit with this Is your prayer on time, and when did you last call your parents?
Abu Ayyub al-Ansariأبو أيوب الأنصاري
Hosting the Prophet with care
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Receive your guests warmly, and ask what pleases them rather than assuming.
Sit with this How might you learn what truly pleases the guests you host?
Abu Bakr al-Siddiqأبو بكر الصديق
Forgiving a relative and resuming support
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Keep helping someone who has hurt you, for the sake of being forgiven yourself.
Sit with this Who has hurt you that you could keep helping, hoping Allah forgives you?
Sharing the night for worship
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Share the night with your household: each person takes a turn.
Sit with this How could your household share the night between you in worship?
Praying for a parent
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Make du'a for a parent's guidance and wellbeing, especially one who is far from the deen.
Sit with this Which parent or relative could you pray for instead of arguing with?
Abu Qatadah al-Ansariأبو قتادة الأنصاري
Kindness to children, even in prayer
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Make space for children in your worship and don't push them away.
Sit with this Do the children around you feel welcome near your prayer?
Abu Talhah al-Ansariأبو طلحة الأنصاري
Patience at the loss of a child
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When loss comes, respond with patience and trust that Allah will replace it.
Sit with this How do you want to respond when Allah takes back something He lent you?
Aisha bint Abi Bakrعائشة بنت أبي بكر
Giving, even when you have only one date
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Give what you have, however small.
Sit with this What small thing could you give today, even if it is your last?
Staying away from sadaqah as a member of the Prophet's family
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Learn the boundaries early; teach children them gently.
Sit with this How do you teach children boundaries gently and early?
al-Husayn ibn Aliالحسين بن علي
Growing up under the du'a of protection
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Read this du'a over your children, and ask Allah to protect them from every harm.
Sit with this Do you say a du'a of protection over the children in your care?
al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswadالمقداد بن الأسود
Greeting quietly at night so the sleeper isn't woken
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Lower your voice and be careful when entering a shared space at night.
Sit with this Do you move through shared spaces at night with care for the sleepers?
al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwamالزبير بن العوام
A hard-working, simple household
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Share the work at home and do not wait for comfort before being grateful.
Sit with this Do you wait for comfort before being grateful?
Ali ibn Abi Talibعلي بن أبي طالب
Waking for night prayer, and honest humility about it
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Wake your household for night prayer with kindness, and accept a reminder without defending yourself.
Sit with this How do you take a reminder about worship without defending yourself?
Preparing for death with du'a
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Ask your family to stay and pray at your grave, and do the same for others.
Sit with this Who will stand at your grave and pray for you, and whose grave could you visit?
Taking a dua from the righteous
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Ask the righteous to pray for you and your family.
Sit with this Whom could you ask to make du'a for you and your family?
Asma bint Abi Bakrأسماء بنت أبي بكر
Honest, hands-on work
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Dignity in labour; no honest work is beneath the believer.
Sit with this Is there honest work you treat as beneath you?
Asma bint Abi Bakrأسماء بنت أبي بكر
Doing good to a non-Muslim mother
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Keep ties with relatives, even where beliefs differ.
Sit with this Which relative who believes differently could you visit with kindness?
Seeking protection for children
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Recite ruqyah and protective du'as for your children.
Sit with this Which protective du'as do you say over your children?
Fatimah bint Muhammadفاطمة بنت محمد
Patient, hands-on household work
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Treat household work as worship and accept limits with contentment.
Sit with this Can the hardest chore of your day become an act of worship?
Fatimah bint Muhammadفاطمة بنت محمد
Warm greetings between parent and child
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Stand up, embrace and honour your parents when you meet them.
Sit with this How do you greet your parents when you see them?
Fatimah bint Muhammadفاطمة بنت محمد
Standing by the Prophet in hardship
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Show up for family in hard moments, quietly and practically.
Sit with this Who in your family needs you to simply show up this week?
Fatimah bint Muhammadفاطمة بنت محمد
The night prayer invitation
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Invite your household to the night prayer, even briefly.
Sit with this Could you invite your household to pray even two rak'ahs tonight?
Fatimah bint Qaysفاطمة بنت قيس
Seeking advice on marriage
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Seek counsel from the wise before a major life decision, then trust the outcome to Allah.
Sit with this Whose counsel do you seek before the big decisions of your life?
Relaying a dream and the advice to pray at night
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Pass on good counsel, and let it move you to qiyam.
Sit with this Whose good counsel could you pass on to someone you love?
Hamzah ibn Abd al-Muttalibحمزة بن عبد المطلب
Family ties that outlived him
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Look after the orphans and families of those who have passed.
Sit with this Which orphan or family of the departed could you look in on?
Hamzah ibn Abd al-Muttalibحمزة بن عبد المطلب
Close kinship by milk
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Honour relationships of milk and marriage as the Prophet did.
Sit with this Which family bonds, by milk or by marriage, have you let go quiet?
Jabir ibn Abdullahجابر بن عبد الله
Putting his sisters' needs first
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Let responsibility for your family shape your decisions, even when it costs you your own preference.
Sit with this Whose needs in your family could shape your next choice?
Jabir ibn Abdullahجابر بن عبد الله
Settling a parent's debts
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Honour a deceased parent by paying what they owed.
Sit with this Is there something a parent of yours left unfinished that you could complete?
Khadijah bint Khuwaylidخديجة بنت خويلد
Steadying a loved one in fear
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When someone close to you is afraid, calm them first, then remind them of the good they have done.
Sit with this When someone you love is afraid, can you calm them before you advise them?
Khadijah bint Khuwaylidخديجة بنت خويلد
Valuing kinship, charity and hospitality
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Build a home where family ties, the poor and the guest are always on the agenda.
Sit with this Are kin, the poor and the guest on your household's agenda?
Khadijah bint Khuwaylidخديجة بنت خويلد
Looking after him with food, in person
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Small daily service to the people you love is noticed by Allah.
Sit with this What small daily service do you give to the people you love?
Khadijah bint Khuwaylidخديجة بنت خويلد
Loyalty that outlasted her life
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Be someone whose friends and family are still honoured after you are gone.
Sit with this Whose friends could you honour for the sake of someone who has passed?
Khawlah bint Tha'labahخولة بنت ثعلبة
Standing by her husband in setting it right
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Support the person you love in making amends.
Sit with this How could you help someone you love make amends?
Maymunah bint al-Harithميمونة بنت الحارث
Preparing water for the Prophet's ghusl
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Learn the sunnah ghusl and teach it to your household.
Sit with this Does your household know how to do ghusl as the Prophet ﷺ did?
Maymunah bint al-Harithميمونة بنت الحارث
Opening the home to family for worship
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Host family members so the young can watch worship practised.
Sit with this Could your home be a place where the young see worship practised?
Maymunah bint al-Harithميمونة بنت الحارث
Freeing a slave
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If you give, give with an eye to relatives who need it most.
Sit with this Which relative in need should come first in your giving?
Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqasسعد بن أبي وقاص
Kindness to his mother, firmness in faith
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Be kind to parents in everything permissible, and steady in your religion.
Sit with this Can you be gentle with your parents while firm in your faith?
Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqasسعد بن أبي وقاص
Giving thoughtfully, with the family in mind
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Give generously but sustainably, and count providing for family as charity.
Sit with this Is your giving generous and sustainable, with your family in mind?
Charity on behalf of a deceased parent
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Give sadaqah on behalf of your parents who have passed away, and make it substantial.
Sit with this What lasting charity could you give on behalf of a parent?
Fulfilling a parent's unfulfilled vow
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Settle your parents' outstanding promises and obligations.
Sit with this Is there a promise a parent left unfulfilled that you could keep for them?
Choosing water as lasting charity
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Support a well or water project as ongoing charity for your loved ones.
Sit with this Could you fund water for someone in the name of a loved one?
Safiyyah bint Abd al-Muttalibصفية بنت عبد المطلب
Patience in the face of a family tragedy
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Be gentle with those who grieve, and expect patience from yourself.
Sit with this How can you be gentle with someone who is grieving?
Safiyyah bint Huyayyصفية بنت حيي
Visiting the one in i'tikaf and sitting with them
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Spend a little time with a family member who is in worship or retreat in the last ten nights; support their ibadah.
Sit with this Whose worship could you support simply by being present for a while?
Safiyyah bint Huyayyصفية بنت حيي
Keeping weddings and gatherings simple
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Celebrate without extravagance, and share what you have with others.
Sit with this Could your next celebration be simpler, and shared more widely?
Knowing and teaching the rule on self-defence
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Know your rights and limits in protecting yourself and those in your care.
Sit with this Do you know your rights and limits in protecting those in your care?
Giving every right its due
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Review your week: is anyone, including your own body, owed something you are skipping?
Sit with this Who is owed something you have been skipping, including your own body?
Sawda bint Zam'ahسودة بنت زمعة
Giving up her own turn for the sake of harmony
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Give up a personal right when it keeps the home calm.
Sit with this Is there a personal right you could give up to keep the peace at home?
Umm Atiyyah al-Ansariyyahأم عطية الأنصارية
Bringing everyone to the Eid prayer
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Take your whole family, including the young and those who cannot pray, to Eid.
Sit with this Will your whole family come with you to the Eid prayer?
Umm Ayman (Barakah)أم أيمن (بركة)
Making a gift of her own food
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Share a food from your own tradition with those you love.
Sit with this What food from your own tradition could you share with someone you love?
Umm Habibah bint Abi Sufyanأم حبيبة رملة بنت أبي سفيان
Asking the Prophet about permissible family matters
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Ask before acting on a family wish, and accept the ruling.
Sit with this Before acting on a family wish, have you asked what is permitted?
Umm Haram bint Milhanأم حرام بنت ملحان
Praying with the Prophet in her own home
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Make your home a place of prayer and bring the family together.
Sit with this How often does your household pray together at home?
Spending on orphans as your own
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Spend on a child in your care and intend it as worship; there is reward for every portion.
Sit with this Do you intend what you spend on your family as worship?
Umm Sulaym bint Milhanأم سليم بنت ملحان
Patience at the death of a child
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Be steady in loss and think of the other person's state before announcing painful news.
Sit with this When you carry painful news, do you think first of the other person's state?
Umm Sulaym bint Milhanأم سليم بنت ملحان
Offering her son in service of the Prophet
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Dedicate your children's best years to something worthwhile and ask for du'a for them.
Sit with this Whom could you ask to make du'a for your children?
Umm Waraqah bint Abdullahأم ورقة بنت عبد الله
Keeping the Qur'an as a daily companion
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Make Qur'an part of your home routine, not just a thing you do at the masjid.
Sit with this Is the Quran part of your home routine, or only the masjid's?
Umm Waraqah bint Abdullahأم ورقة بنت عبد الله
Making her home a place of prayer
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Call your household to prayer; make the adhan and prayer a part of the home.
Sit with this Does your household hear the call to prayer at home?
Uthman ibn Madh'unعثمان بن مظعون
Balance between worship and rights
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Keep worship sustainable; do not neglect your family or health for it.
Sit with this Is your worship sustainable for you and fair to those around you?
Uthman ibn Madh'unعثمان بن مظعون
Following the Prophet's way, not one's own extremes
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Adopt the sunnah, not invented austerity.
Sit with this Are you adding hardships the Sunnah never asked of you?
Bringing a difficulty to the Prophet
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Take marital or family difficulties to a trusted, God-fearing adviser and listen to the advice to fear Allah.
Sit with this Whom do you take your family difficulties to, and do you heed their advice?
Praying voluntary prayers at home
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Make your voluntary prayers regularly at home, and keep the mosque for the obligatory ones.
Sit with this Does your home hear your voluntary prayers?
Keeping the ties of kinship
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Reach out to a relative this week.
Sit with this Which relative could you reach out to this week?
Zaynab bint Muhammadزينب بنت محمد
Standing by her husband and helping him in need
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Support the people you are bound to in hard times, with your own resources if need be.
Sit with this Whom are you bound to who needs your support in a hard time?
Zaynab bint Muhammadزينب بنت محمد
Keeping her faith when her family was divided
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Hold to your faith with patience when those close to you do not yet share it.
Sit with this How do you hold to your faith with patience when those close to you do not share it?
Zaynab bint Muhammadزينب بنت محمد
A mother whom the Prophet carried in prayer
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Make room for children in your life, even in the middle of worship.
Sit with this Do children have a place in your life, even in your worship?
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