Qiwāma
Definition
Qiwama is the Quranic term for the husband's responsibility as the leader and caretaker of the family — a responsibility that comes with specific obligations: financial provision, protection, guidance, and the modelling of virtuous character. Al-Ghazali is careful to distinguish qiwama from domination: the husband's leadership is not a license for tyranny but a trust that comes with accountability before Allah. The husband who exercises qiwama with wisdom, consultation, generosity, and the fear of Allah is fulfilling one of the most demanding trusts in the religion; the one who uses it as an excuse for control and neglect has betrayed it.
As understood in the classical tradition of Imam al-Ghazali and the scholars of his school.
Appears in
1 book in the library
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