Here is the English abstract of Golnaz Kaslekheh (Faculty Member of ʾUm al-Abrār Women Seminary)'s presentation at the 15^nd pre-con meeting of the conference “Imam Reza (PBUH) and Interreligious Dialogue" which was held in ʾUm al-Abrār Women Seminary (Aq Qala, Iran) on  December 27, 2023.

The Effect of the Father's Spiritual Leadership on the Mental and Moral Health of the Family

According to the Quran and Hadith a father should never neglect his children. Conversely, a father's attention to his children and family can lead to their happiness and salvation. Children, in addition to maternal upbringing, also require paternal upbringing. Paternal upbringing in the family can be metaphorically described as the role of a spiritual leader. According to this metaphor, the father's role is not limited to meeting the material needs of the family. Instead, like a guide leading a group on a path, he guides the family on the path to reaching higher spiritual levels. This guidance and paternal upbringing require patience, tolerance, and good manners. Such virtues are based on a central virtue which is having inner and spiritual tranquility. Possessing this central virtue leads to the realization of a spiritual family and the upbringing of children with moral virtues and social life skills. If we use the metaphor of a garden to depict the family, children are like fruits, the mother is like the gardener, and the father is like the guardian of the garden.

Translator: Mahdi Qasemi