A presentation I delivered as part of a lecture last year at Masjidun Nur in Camden, NJ, as part of a collaboration with Masjid Uthman Dan Fodiyo in Philadelphia, PA.The program was entitled "The Black Muslim Agenda".

1. The Importance and Significance
of Engaged Fatherhood in Islam
A presentation by Imam Faheem Lea at The Black Muslim Agenda
lecture, Masjidun Nur, Saturday, Feb. 27, 2016

2. A heartfelt thanks
The Prophet ‫صلى‬‫هللا‬‫عليه‬‫و‬‫سلم‬ said:
‫من‬‫ال‬‫يشكر‬‫الناس‬‫ال‬‫يشكر‬‫هللا‬
• Masjid Uthman Dan Fodio
• Nuruzzaman Institute
• Masjidun Nur
• Guest Speakers
• All of you In attendance

3. What is Engaged Fatherhood?
• Father involvement is defined as active and positive engagement in
children’s lives.
• Studies have shown that a child’s primary relationship with their
father will affect ALL of the child’s relationships from birth to death.
Girls will look for men who have similar patterns to the father, and
boys will copy behavior.
• Children who are well-bonded and loved by involved fathers tend to
have less behavioral problems, less likely to drop out of school, use
drugs or alcohol or engage in acts of violence.

4. An End Goal In Mind
‫و‬َّ‫ب‬‫ه‬‫ر‬ ‫ا‬‫ه‬‫م‬‫ه‬‫ك‬‫ا‬‫ه‬‫م‬ُ‫ه‬ْ‫ه‬‫ْح‬ْ‫ار‬ ِِّ‫ب‬َّ‫ر‬ ‫ل‬ُ‫ق‬‫ه‬‫و‬ ِ‫ة‬‫ه‬ْ‫ْح‬َّ‫الر‬ ‫ه‬‫ن‬ِ‫م‬ ِِّ‫ل‬ُّ‫الذ‬ ‫ه‬‫اح‬‫ه‬‫ن‬‫ه‬‫ج‬ ‫ا‬‫ه‬‫م‬ُ‫ه‬‫َل‬ ْ‫ض‬ِ‫ف‬ْ‫خ‬‫ا‬ِ‫غ‬‫ه‬‫ص‬ ِ‫اِن‬‫ه‬‫ي‬‫ر‬‫ي‬‫ا‬
• And lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy and say, "My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up [when I was] small.“
[17:34]

5. Keys To Effective Father-Child Communication
• Communicate frequently and directly
• Be an active listener
• Emphasize the positive
• Be a role model

6. The Story of Ya’qub and Yusuf
ْ‫و‬َ‫ك‬ َ‫َر‬‫ش‬َ‫ع‬ َ‫د‬َ‫ح‬َ‫أ‬ ُ‫ْت‬‫ي‬َ‫أ‬َ‫ر‬ ‫ي‬ِِّ‫ن‬ِ‫إ‬ ِ‫ت‬َ‫ب‬َ‫أ‬ ‫ا‬َ‫ي‬ ِ‫ه‬‫ي‬ِ‫ب‬َ ِ‫ِل‬ ُ‫ف‬ُ‫س‬‫و‬ُ‫ي‬ َ‫ل‬‫ا‬َ‫ق‬ ْ‫ذ‬ِ‫إ‬‫ا‬َ‫س‬ ‫ي‬ِ‫ل‬ ْ‫م‬ُ‫ه‬ُ‫ت‬ْ‫ي‬َ‫أ‬َ‫ر‬ َ‫ر‬َ‫م‬َ‫ق‬ْ‫ال‬ َ‫و‬ َ‫س‬ْ‫م‬َّ‫ش‬‫ال‬ َ‫و‬ ‫ا‬ً‫ب‬َ‫ك‬ِ‫ج‬َ‫ين‬ِ‫د‬
“When Joseph said to his father, “O my father, indeed I have seen [in a dream] eleven stars and the sun and the moon; I saw them prostrating
to me.”
‫ر‬‫د‬ْ‫ي‬‫ه‬‫ك‬ ‫ه‬‫ك‬‫ه‬‫ل‬ ‫وا‬ُ‫د‬‫ي‬ِ‫ك‬‫ه‬‫ي‬‫ه‬‫ف‬ ‫ه‬‫ك‬ِ‫ت‬‫ه‬‫و‬ْ‫خ‬ِ‫إ‬ ٰ‫ى‬‫ه‬‫ل‬‫ه‬‫ع‬ ‫ه‬‫ك‬‫ه‬‫َي‬ْ‫ؤ‬ُ‫ر‬ ْ‫ص‬ُ‫ص‬ْ‫ق‬‫ه‬‫ت‬ ‫ه‬‫َل‬ َّ‫ه‬‫َن‬ُ‫ب‬ ‫ه‬‫َي‬ ‫ه‬‫ال‬‫ه‬‫ق‬ُّ‫م‬ ٌّ‫و‬ُ‫د‬‫ه‬‫ع‬ ِ‫ان‬‫ه‬‫نس‬ِْ‫ْل‬ِ‫ل‬ ‫ه‬‫ن‬‫ا‬‫ه‬‫ط‬ْ‫ي‬َّ‫الش‬ َّ‫ن‬ِ‫إ‬ ۖ ‫ا‬ٌِ‫يِب‬
“He said, "O my son, do not relate your vision to your brothers or they will contrive against you a plan. Indeed Satan, to man, is a manifest
enemy.”
‫ون‬ُ‫ك‬ْ‫يِب‬‫ه‬‫ي‬ ‫ر‬‫اء‬‫ه‬‫ش‬ِ‫ع‬ ْ‫م‬ُ‫ه‬‫ه‬‫هَب‬‫أ‬ ‫وا‬ُ‫اء‬‫ه‬‫ج‬‫ه‬‫و‬
َAnd they came to their father at night, weeping.
ْ‫م‬ِ‫ه‬‫ي‬ِ‫ب‬‫ه‬‫أ‬ ٰ‫ه‬‫َل‬ِ‫إ‬ ‫وا‬ُ‫ع‬‫ه‬‫ج‬‫ه‬‫ر‬ ‫ا‬َّ‫م‬‫ه‬‫ل‬‫ه‬‫ف‬
• Communication, availability

7. Luqman and His Son
• Allah first
• Be righteous
• Forbearance and endurance
• Wisdom
ِْ‫ب‬ْ‫اص‬‫ه‬‫و‬ ِ‫ر‬‫ه‬‫ك‬‫ن‬ُ‫ْم‬‫ل‬‫ا‬ ِ‫ن‬‫ه‬‫ع‬ ‫ه‬‫ه‬ْ‫ن‬‫ا‬‫ه‬‫و‬ ِ‫وف‬ُ‫ر‬ْ‫ع‬‫ه‬‫ْم‬‫ل‬ِ‫َب‬ ْ‫ر‬ُ‫م‬ْ‫أ‬‫ه‬‫و‬ ‫ه‬‫ة‬ ‫ه‬‫َل‬َّ‫الص‬ ِ‫م‬ِ‫هق‬‫أ‬ َّ‫ه‬‫َن‬ُ‫ب‬ ‫ه‬‫َي‬‫ه‬‫ك‬ِ‫ل‬ٰ‫ه‬‫ذ‬ َّ‫ن‬ِ‫إ‬ ۖ ‫ه‬‫ك‬‫ه‬‫اب‬‫ه‬‫هص‬‫أ‬ ‫ا‬‫ه‬‫م‬ ٰ‫ى‬‫ه‬‫ل‬‫ه‬‫ع‬﴿ ِ‫ر‬‫و‬ُ‫م‬ُْ‫اْل‬ ِ‫م‬ْ‫ز‬‫ه‬‫ع‬ ْ‫ن‬ِ‫م‬١٧﴾
‫ه‬‫َل‬ ‫ه‬‫ه‬َّ‫ل‬‫ال‬ َّ‫ن‬ِ‫إ‬ ۖ ‫ا‬‫ر‬‫ح‬‫ه‬‫ر‬‫ه‬‫م‬ ِ‫ض‬ْ‫ر‬‫ه‬ْ‫اْل‬ ِ‫ِف‬ ِ‫ش‬ْ‫ه‬‫َت‬ ‫ه‬‫َل‬‫ه‬‫و‬ ِ‫َّاس‬‫ن‬‫ل‬ِ‫ل‬ ‫ه‬‫ك‬َّ‫د‬‫ه‬‫خ‬ ْ‫ر‬ِّ
ِ‫ع‬‫ه‬‫ص‬ُ‫ت‬ ‫ه‬‫َل‬‫ه‬‫و‬‫ف‬‫ر‬‫و‬ُ‫و‬‫ه‬‫ف‬ ‫ف‬‫ال‬‫ه‬‫ا‬ُْ‫ْخ‬ َّ‫ل‬ُ‫ك‬ ُُّ ُِ‫ِح‬
O my son, establish prayer, enjoin what is right, forbid what is wrong, and be patient over what befalls you. Indeed, [all] that is of the
matters [requiring] determination. (17) And do not turn your cheek [in contempt] toward people and do not walk through the earth
exultantly. Indeed, Allah does not like everyone self-deluded and boastful.

8. Ibrahim and His Son
ِِّ‫هِن‬‫أ‬ ِ‫ام‬‫ه‬‫ن‬‫ه‬‫ْم‬‫ل‬‫ا‬ ِ‫ِف‬ ٰ‫ى‬‫ه‬‫هر‬‫أ‬ ِِّ‫ِن‬ِ‫إ‬ َّ‫ه‬‫َن‬ُ‫ب‬ ‫ه‬‫َي‬ ‫ه‬‫ال‬‫ه‬‫ق‬ ‫ه‬‫ي‬ْ‫ع‬َّ‫الس‬ ُ‫ه‬‫ه‬‫ع‬‫ه‬‫م‬ ‫ه‬‫غ‬‫ه‬‫ل‬‫ه‬‫ب‬ ‫ا‬َّ‫م‬‫ه‬‫ل‬‫ه‬‫ف‬‫ه‬‫ق‬ ۚ ٰ‫ى‬‫ه‬‫ر‬‫ه‬‫ت‬ ‫ا‬‫ه‬‫ذ‬‫ا‬‫ه‬‫م‬ ْ‫ر‬ُ‫ظ‬‫ان‬‫ه‬‫ف‬ ‫ه‬‫ك‬ُ‫ه‬‫َب‬ْ‫ذ‬‫ه‬‫أ‬‫ه‬‫م‬ ْ‫ل‬‫ه‬‫ع‬ْ‫اف‬ ِ‫ت‬‫ه‬‫هب‬‫أ‬ ‫ه‬‫َي‬ ‫ه‬‫ال‬ۖ ُ‫ر‬‫ه‬‫م‬ْ‫ؤ‬ُ‫ت‬ ‫ا‬
‫ه‬‫ين‬ِ‫ر‬ِ‫ب‬‫ا‬َّ‫الص‬ ‫ه‬‫ن‬ِ‫م‬ ُ‫ه‬َّ‫ل‬‫ال‬ ‫ه‬‫اء‬‫ه‬‫ش‬ ‫ن‬ِ‫إ‬ ِ‫ِن‬ُ‫د‬ِ‫ج‬‫ه‬‫ا‬‫ه‬‫س‬
And when he reached with him [the age of] exertion, he said, "O my son, indeed I have seen in a dream that I [must] sacrifice you, so see what
you think." He said, "O my father, do as you are commanded. You will find me, if Allah wills, of the steadfast."

9. Even Fir'awn!
‫ه‬ٌِ‫ن‬ِ‫س‬ ‫ه‬‫ك‬ِ‫ر‬ُ‫م‬ُ‫ع‬ ْ‫ن‬ِ‫م‬ ‫ا‬‫ه‬‫ين‬ِ‫ف‬ ‫ه‬‫ت‬ْ‫ث‬ِ‫يِب‬‫ه‬‫ل‬‫ه‬‫و‬ ‫ا‬‫ر‬‫د‬‫ي‬ِ‫ل‬‫ه‬‫و‬ ‫ا‬‫ه‬‫ين‬ِ‫ف‬ ‫ه‬‫ك‬ِِّ‫ب‬‫ه‬‫ر‬ُ‫ن‬ ْ‫ه‬‫َل‬‫ه‬‫أ‬ ‫ه‬‫ال‬‫ه‬‫ق‬
“[Pharaoh] said, "Did we not raise you among us as a child, and you remained among us for years of your life?”