Think Big Dream High, E56 - Strengthening the Family Entity Enroute To National Unity

The Weakening Of Family Institution.

1.The smallest and oldest organization in the world is the family institution. It began with just two members husband and wife i.e Adam and Eve. This entity forms the basis of communities, country, civilization and the world. When the family institution is in harmony, the bigger institutions will follow suit.

2.The family institution in the twenty-first century has become fragile. It has weakened and not strong anymore. The influence from media electronic, internet , daily activities, modern lifestyle  and the result of globalization with the borderless world concept has strained the relationship between family members. This is the early warning signal that other institutions too will face the fate if remedial action is not taken instantaneously. This immediate action need to start with the family institution itself.   

Reality in Life     

1.The father is concentrating on reading the novel or newspaper, mother has her eyes glued on the magazine in front of her, kak long the eldest child is busy with her I-pad, the younger child, a boy is chatting on  his mobile whilst the youngest boy is playing his favorite game on his personal PS.

2.An hour and a half went by without anybody in the group uttering a word. This is a normal scene now be it in the family restaurant or at home during breakfast time. This is the trend during weekends in any modern families homes. Everybody in the five member family have their own activities and no room to exchange small talks or enter into discussions.

3.After breakfast, the father will be busy with his novel or his management books or at the golf course for most weekends i.e. if he is not travelling overseas or outstation.  Mother continued gluing herself to her favourite magazine or the Korean TV drama, stopping just for a while to supervise the maid preparing food for lunch.  The eldest girl confined herself to her room, busy with the I-pad. The middle child also alone in the library with the computer on. The youngest boy eventhough with the mother in the living room has not lifted his eyes from the PS, Everybody is doing their own thing.

4.A good thing that came out from all of this is that the modern day families have no time bad mouthing or gossiping others. When they die, no way they will be eating their friend’s smelly flesh. They just have no time bad mouthing or gossiping others. That is good and inline with the sunnah and Islamic syariat.

5.During week days, they are busy with their career, activities and education. Sometimes they do not bump into each other all week. As early as  6 am. the middle and youngest child are on their way to school and back home at 4 pm after co-curriculum. The house maid is the one getting them ready since 5 am in the morning. Father and mother woke up for subuh prayers at about 6.30 am. The syuruk time is until 7.08 am. They still have ample time for subuh prayers.

6.After subuh prayers, they have a short rest. The driver is the one sending the children to school. The father goes to the office at about 8.30am. The eldest girl is already back at her college’s hostel. After breakfast, mother continued watching her favourite TV drama. When father is back from the office, the children are already asleeep. Mother since 9 pm continued with watching English movies on the HBO channel or Cinemax. Father on most days continued doing office work until late at night. This has been the trend for the whole week’s routine in most modern day families.

 7.After the children graduated and have their own career, they are more comfortable staying on their own or with their close friends at the condo. The married ones will rent or buy their  own condos away from their parents homes.

8.Overall, the relationship between one family member and another family member is very limited physically. In this modern day, new technologies and lifestyle distanced the family members from one another. Distancing themselves from religion. Distancing themselves from Allah SWT. They are more focused on their activities, education, career, business and their own hobbies. They are closer to their friends either physically or virtually, their office colleagues, their fan clubs compared with their family members.        

Tips

1.There is nothing wrong with the lifestyle portrayed above. However, these are the signs and signals that the family institution, communities, country and the world are heading towards non unity and separation. As a professional who think big dream high, we can play a role in ensuring that our small family unit start  building  the seeds of unity, feeling of love, care and respect for each other.

2.If this can be done, we will be able to contribute towards producing human beings who are respectful of each other.Human beings who love and care for each other, exchanging warm greetings and smiles with one another. We are not selfish human beings, egoistic and materialistic  who love only ourselves and our personal properties.We should realise  that there is a stake that belongs to the poor and needy from among our properties. We should educate ourselves and the family members to become human beings who all the time are grateful and appreciative of the pleasures granted freely by Allah SWT.

3.Maybe our contribution is small but it is important in the creation of a community living in harmony, unity and full of kindness. Full of blessings, and barakah from Allah SWT. Why is this important? This is because in any organization, country or institution, the direction and decisions for that institution are made by the professionals within that institution itself. Made by the Chief Executive of that entity.

4. The Chief Executive being smart, intellectual and kind, will make the whole entity concerned be in harmony with the environment and its stakeholders. He will offer the best service to them  well suited to their requirements.He will at all time put the objective of achieving a well-blessed organisation or society as his priority.He will always prevail  the calture of fairness and transparent in his dealings and actions. This role is similar to  the role of a father in a family entity.A father that can unite and respected by all of his family members.