KUALA LUMPUR – In Islam, family responsibilities and trust are inseparable and one micro decision at home can ripple across society and the economy.
Bayyinah Institute founder Nouman Ali Khan stressed that when a mother remarries, she should not have to put her child under another man’s protection.
“Protecting that child was your responsibility. He takes your name. He carries your legacy. He has your blood in it. That’s your responsibility,” he said during the World #QuranConvention 2025 held on Dec 7.
He said this policy is not only halal and legal, but it also protects children from abuse.
“The vast majority of children that are abused inside the house are usually children abused by the new boyfriend or the new husband,” he said, highlighting the social and economic benefits of clear family responsibilities.
According to Nouman, these principles go beyond family life and extend into business and investments.
“If we cannot be trusted to uphold the most sacred law of Allah, in the most sacred relationship, the family relationship, how are we going to trust each other in business?” he said.
He pointed out that integrity at home lays the foundation for societal trust.
“If I can’t trust you to do right by your wife or your husband, if I can’t trust you with your own siblings and the inheritance, how can I trust you with my million-dollar investment?” Nouman said.
He also criticised gaps in education and cultural understanding. He said some people might be shocked by what they learned today.
Nouman added that this should have been basic education, common knowledge and repeated often, because it should have been part of the culture all along.
He urged everyone to take a personal approach to change.
Nouman also reminded the audience that societal transformation starts individually.
“We will change our culture not by changing someone else. I will change it by changing myself.
“You will change it by changing yourself,” he said, leaving listeners to reflect on the link between family, trust and ethical business.