Religion and Relationships in Muslim Families: A Qualitative Examination of Devout Married Muslim Couples

Zahra Alghafli,Trevan Hatch,Loren Marks

doi:10.3390/rel5030814

Abstract

Since 11 September 2001, Islam has been the center of many debates, discussions, parodies and publications. Many Muslims feel that their religion has been portrayed unfairly in Western media. The topics that seem to generate the most criticism relate to gender roles and the treatment of women, both inside the home and in society. The purpose of this paper is to examine the perceived role of Islam on marital and familial relationships from an insider’s perspective and to present participants’ reflections on sensitive issues, including gender roles, women’s rights and marital unity. Content analysis of in-depth interviews of twenty diverse Shia and Sunni Muslim couples living in the U.S. (n = 40) yielded three emergent themes: (1) Islam as a way of life; (2) Islam as a unifying force; and (3) gender roles and the treatment of women. These data suggest that, as perceived by our religiously involved “insider” participants, Islam influences marriage relationships, unites families and (when understood and lived properly) protects women from abuse and oppression.

Highlights

Empirical research on religion vis-à-vis the family has seen a substantial increase over the past fifteen years or so, and numerous correlations between variables of family and religion have been identified [1,2,3,4,5]
The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of Islam on marital and familial relationships and to present our participants’ reflections on sensitive issues, including gender roles, women’s rights and marital unity
By following Islamic law, as it was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad and preserved in the Quran, an individual, couple or family will have direction regarding how to act and how to interact with other people

Summary

Introduction

Empirical research on religion vis-à-vis the family has seen a substantial increase over the past fifteen years or so, and numerous correlations between variables of family and religion have been identified [1,2,3,4,5]. Researchers, have recognized that research on religion and family life. Religions 2014, 5 remains at an infancy stage in many ways [6]. Even more apparent is the dearth of empirical research on Muslim families, especially in North America. Many Muslims in this region are African Americans or immigrants from South Asia, the Middle East or North Africa, which makes them both ethnic and religious minorities [7] Since 11 September 2001, anti-Islamic hate crimes jumped an astounding. The image of Islam may be improving in the U.S

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Conclusion