Even after living in the United States for over 40 years, the Khairullah’s still find that the Quran and the culture of Islam influences their daily lives. Durriya H.Z. Khairullah, Ph.D., professor of marketing, and Zahid Y. Khairullah, Ph.D., professor of management and industrial management, hosted a talk, held Wednesday, on the role of men and women in the religion of Islam. During the discussion, the two talked how the teachings of the Quran and the culture of Islam influenced both theirs and their families’ lives.
Some of these teachings included facts that both men and women must have a modest dress code, respect their parents and care for them in their old age and split the belongings that their parents left behind equally, according to Durriya Khairullah.
Some of the other teachings that the two highlighted were that women should not be blamed for the “fall of man,” men must show respect for women, and that both men and women have the right to ask for a divorce.
Before opening up the floor for questions and discussions, Zahid Y. Khairullah presented a letter from Mohammed Ibn Abdullah that talked about the relationship between Muslims and Christians. The letter said that Muslims must have a relationship with Christians where they treat them with respect and kindness instead of hate and fight alongside them rather than against them.
In regards to dating, the couple mentioned that growing up they both did not take part in dating, and they instilled the same culture in their children. In Islam, dating is not usually allowed by a child’s parents, and if someone wants to spend time with someone of the opposite gender, it must be done in a group setting. The two also mentioned that they met due to the fact that their families were close friends with one another, and that they also started interacting with each other through group outings with other children.
In regards to education, both Durriya and Zahid Khairullah are highly educated, which isn’t always the case for arranged marriages in the Islamic culture. Durriya’s husband, Zahid, played a big role in her pursuit to earn her doctorate degree as he always pushed her towards getting her education to the highest point possible. According to the couple, however, this doesn’t always happen in Islamic marriages as some husbands force their wives to stay home. Even some female children don’t receive an education if the parents decide against it, said Durriya and Zahid Khairullah.
The two concluded the talk by explaining the main differences between the lifestyle of Islamic culture and the teachings of the Quran. They discussed how Islamic culture affects things like husbands making their wives stay home because it’s their job to provide for the family, but these aspects don’t affect the teachings of the Quran as the men must still treat all women with respect, women always have the right to ask for a divorce and women are entitled to all the earnings they make that doesn’t come from their husband’s work.
mackreec15@bonaventure.edu
