Saturday, May 5^th and Sunday, May 6^th, 2007

Introduction

The Islamic institution of marriage is one that lies at the heart of our religion.  Indeed, a famous tradition narrated from the Prophet (saws) in all schools of thought in Islam states that he who is married has secured half his deen (religion/way of life) Marriage is a crucial anchor in the life of the individual and in the structure of the community, and is such is recognized by the thinkers of all religions and of all cultures as a key pillar of society, providing at its best a stable, nurturing environment for the next generation and as a source of companionship and mutual support for the spouses involved.  Unfortunately, a troubling trend the world over is a deterioration of the institution of marriage, particularly in our society.  Adultery and spousal abuse / domestic violence are rampant, and divorce takes a staggering toll on marriages.  Sadly, these trends, and assorted cultural distortions have found their way into our communities as well, despite a wealth of teachings from the Prophet (saws), the aimmah (as), and our best scholars on how to have a healthy marriage.  The goal of this seminar is to examine a number of issues of importance for those who are looking into getting married, preparing to get married, or newly married in the light of this heritage.

Topics

Topics will include: role of marriage in society, spousal selection, forms of marriage, avoiding excesses in engagements and weddings, keeping balance in the home, avoiding monotony in marriage, managing household finances, relations with in-laws, domestic violence, marital counseling, and avoiding divorce.

Intended Audience

The seminar is intended for young adults above the age of 16.  (Note: the seminar will be covering mature subject matter, and therefore the seminar is only for youth over 16)  It is intended for both those who are beginning to think about marriage, as well as for those who are newly married.

Speakers  

Alimah Latifa Samji (Toronto, Ont. Canada)

S. Mustafa al-Qazwini (California, USA)

Sh. Abol Fazl Nahidian (Virginia, USA)

Sister Ruba Haidar (Montreal, Que., Canada)

Sh. Saleem Bhimji (Kitchener, Ont, Canada)

Sister Arifa Hudda (Kitchener, Ont, Canada)

(Speaker bios to come soon)

Schedule

Registration

Childcare services 

Will be available for those who register in advance for an additional fee.  

Cost: $20 per full day for one child, plus $10 per full day for each additional child;

For part time care, cost is $2 per hour for one child, plus $1 per hour for each additional child

If there are genuine financial difficulties that may make it difficult to pay this amount, please inform us of this when registering to make special arrangements.  Such arrangements need to be made in advance.

Location: PLEASE NOTE that due to restrictions at Concordia University, child care services cannot be offered at the site of the conference.  Child care will be offered instead at Ahlilbait Masjid, located at 4075 de Courtrai Ave.   http://ca.maps.yahoo.com/py/maps.py?BFCat=&Pyt=Tmap%60%22wFL=Use%2BAddress%2BBelow&addr=4075%20DeCourtrai%20Avenue&csz=Montreal,%2BQuebec,%2BH3S%2B4B8&Country=ca&Get%A0Map=Get%2BMap  From there, one can get to the seminar by either taking the 165 Cote des Neiges bus south, or by driving south on Chemin Cote des Neiges.  In either case, allow about 30-40 min to get to Concordia for the seminar.  

Costs

$10 without meals

$20 with meals

Location and Directions:

Concordia University, Hall Building, 1455 de Maisonneuve W.,  H-535 (main seminar room)

Map to get there (high way scale)

Map to get there (medium scale)

Map to get there (street level scale)

Directions to follow

Poster