Communal
Responsibility
By M. Omar Baig
“Each of you are responsible and will
be asked about your responsibility.”
Not too long ago, before my first child was born, I remember
reading numerous books and articles about parenting.
I would also frequently listen to lectures and read material
from Muslim and non-Muslims alike to see if I can find
some key parenting points and tips. As I was doing my
reading, I came across a thought-provoking African proverb
that completely changed my perspective of tarbiya and
the shared communal responsibilities between all individuals:
“It takes a village to raise a child.”
As I began to ponder upon the concise wording of this
proverb, I immediately realized that the message within is
entirely in line with the Islamic philosophy of upbringing.
In Islam, although the primary responsibility of a child and
his/her upbringing lies on the parents, the complete development
of a child is done at a communal level. The Islamic
philosophy of upbringing is based on collectivism and not
individualism. Each person in the community is responsible
for ensuring communal prosperity through his/her
respective contributions.
Upon pondering further, I realized that this philosophy of
collectivism is not only restricted to the upbringing of children,
rather it is a distinguishing feature of all relationships
in Islam. Furthermore, it is this Islamic philosophy that
helps ensure communal prosperity. When a person begins
to look at the interrelationship between every member of
the community, suddenly, his/her approach to problems
18 January – February 2021 | AL-MADINAH