Matin Research Journal

Matin Research Journal

The Necessity of the Family Institution with Emphasis on the Educational Role of Mother from the Perspective of Contemporary Islamic Thinkers (case study Imam Khomeini and Sayyid Qutb)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Hamideh Daneshjoo 1
Hadi Vakili 2
Fatemeh Janahmadi 3
1 PhD student of Iran's history after Islam, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad
2 Associate Professor, Department of History, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
3 Associate Professor of the Department of History, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran
10.22034/matin.2024.477749.2290
Abstract
In the twentieth century, the spread of materialistic ideologies—such as communism—that sought to marginalize or replace the family institution in Western societies also influenced parts of the Islamic world. In response, many Muslim scholars and thinkers, grounded in Islamic teachings, actively defended the family as a fundamental social institution, with particular emphasis on the educational and formative role of mothers. Among these figures, Imam Khomeini, a prominent Shiʿi jurist, and Sayyid Qutb, a leading Sunni intellectual, stand out for their influential contributions.
This study aims to examine and compare the perspectives of Imam Khomeini and Sayyid Qutb on the necessity of the family institution, focusing specifically on the educational role of the mother. The research adopts a descriptive–analytical approach and is based on library sources. The findings indicate significant commonalities between the two thinkers, including their emphasis on the family as an institution rooted in Islamic teachings, the central role of mothers in the moral and spiritual upbringing of children, and their explicit opposition to ideological currents that undermine the family structure. Nevertheless, Imam Khomeini’s perspective is distinguished by a more comprehensive and multidimensional understanding of women’s educational roles within the family and a stronger emphasis on the harmony between these roles.
Keywords
Family Institution
Imam Khomeini
Sayyid Qutb
Motherhood
Education
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Matin Research Journal
Volume 27, Issue 108
Autumn 2025
Pages 25-54