The Prophet of Islam once observed: “The best among you is one who is best for his family.” This applies to all individuals, be they men or women, young or old. The ideal way for any individual to prove his worth is to become a modest member of his family. What is a home? A home is a primary unit of social life. A number of homes make a society. When the atmosphere at home is good, the atmosphere in society too will be good. When the atmosphere at home is vitiated, there will be a similar deterioration in the atmosphere of society. Without there being a preponderance of good homes, there can be no society worth the name. Behaviour at home serves as the first criterion of human goodness. If an individual is very courteous to other members of society, but is rude at home, he will not be considered a good person. This is because it is home life, and not life outside the home, which provides the real testing ground for the human personality. In the ideal home life, elders should show consideration to their juniors, and youngsters should show respect to their elders. Men should treat their womenfolk with kindness, while women, for their part should not create problems for their men folk. All the members of a family must look to their duties and not to their rights. Everyone should be willing to take his share of the work, but he should also help others to accomplish the tasks allotted to them. Whenever there is any problem at home, everyone should make efforts to nip it in the bud, rather than allow matters to escalate. The secret of a successful family life lies in willing service and cooperation. Every family member should have the desire to come to the assistance of others and be willing to live in harmony with them, without allowing differences and complaints to mar the domestic atmosphere.
