The Forty Foundations of Family: How to Improve One’s Marriage and Nurture One’s Children

Instructor: Shaykh Faraz Rabbani & Ustadha Shireen Ahmed

Course Overview

This is a General level personal development course on how one can improve in their interpersonal relationship with their immediate family members. This can lead to a more tranquil household in which children can naturally reach their full potential as young Muslims.

The key to this is to learn about the key etiquettes with immediate relations, which will be covered in this course, as well as common mistakes some families fall into which can adversely affect their closest relationships.

One of the foundational objectives of Islamic studies is to teach students to have etiquette in line with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). In this class, this knowledge is applied to the family setting in a practical manner so as to improve the well-being of Muslim households.

About the Text

The points used in this course were developed by the instructors, based on different works of Imam Sulami. They aimed to address the most pressing contemporary issues based on years of teaching and life experience. The text they have developed is aimed to help families deal with common issues in a graceful manner so that they can attain more tranquility within their homes, God Willing. 

Who is This Course For?

• This course is for adults and Muslims of marriageable age.

• It is particularly beneficial for parents.

• This course. can also be taken by anyone contemplating marriage, as a means of preparing themselves for their future.

• It is a General Level course. There are no prerequisites required to successfully complete this course.

Study Effort

• Recommended hours: 1 hour weekly

• Recommended reading: Imam Sulami’s The Etiquette of Keeping Companionship (Adab as-Suhba)

Learning Outcomes

• Understand how to have a greater level of etiquette at home with your immediate family members.

• Foster a sound intention in your motivation to help others in their home.

• Resolve common issues which often threaten the tranquility of the home environment.

Course Outline

Lesson 1: Introduction to the Course

Lesson 2: Points 1-4

Lesson 3: Points 5-8

Lesson 4: Points 9-12

Lesson 5: Points 13-16

Lesson 6: Points 17-20

Lesson 7: Points 21-24

Lesson 8: Points 25-28

Lesson 9: Points 29-32

Lesson 10: Points 33-36

Lesson 11: Points 37-40

Lesson 12: Conclusion

About the Instructor

Shaykh Faraz Rabbani spent ten years studying with some of the leading scholars of recent times, first in Damascus, and then in Amman, Jordan. His teachers include the foremost theologian of recent times in Damascus, the late Shaykh Adib al-Kallas (may Allah have mercy on him), as well as his student Shaykh Hassan al-Hindi, one of the leading Hanafi fuqaha of the present age. He returned to Canada in 2007, where he founded SeekersGuidance in order to meet the urgent need to spread Islamic knowledge–both online and on the ground–in a reliable, relevant, inspiring, and accessible manner. He is the author of Absolute Essentials of Islam: Faith, Prayer, and the Path of Salvation According to the Hanafi School (White Thread Press, 2004.) Since 2011, Shaykh Faraz has been named one of the 500 most influential Muslims by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center.

Ustadha Shireen Ahmed is an experienced teacher, educator, and mentor, specializing in marriage, parenting, and character development. Born and raised in Canada, she graduated from the University of Toronto with a B.A. in Psychology and Sociology. Thereafter, she travelled to Syria, studying Arabic and sacred knowledge at the University of Damascus and Abu Nour Institute.

She took private classes in Qur’anic recitation, Prophetic traditions, sacred law, and Prophetic biography. After ten years abroad, she returned to Toronto, Canada. She currently serves as Managing Director of SeekersGuidance Canada, where she draws from years of experience as a community leader and activist.