'Qawwam men' initiative to be included in Islamic pre-marriage course

LANGKAWI - The initiative of empowering men who can protect and guide holistically and be responsible family heads known as 'Qawwam’ men will be part of the content of the Islamic Pre-Marriage Course in the future.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs), Datuk Ahmad Marzuk Shaary said the guidelines on this initiative had already been established following further discussions by his department with other relevant parties in the field.

"The syllabus of this Pre-Marriage Course emphasises the characters of the 'Qawwam man' or the ability to lead the family that falls into the hands of men. It is not about showing off his masculinity to the point of doing whatever he wants to the family, but it is about being responsible, caring, empathetic (and) loving.”

He said this at a press conference after officiating at the 44th National Conference of the Chief Registrars of Marriages, Divorces and Reconciliations (KPNCR) 2022 here today, besides launching the third edition of the ‘Gerbang Perkahwinan’ book.

Ahmad Marzuk said the initiative would highlight the role of good male leadership in navigating the household and handling married life efficiently and effectively, thus preventing divorce.

"As head of the family, he is not only there to provide but also to educate and raise children based on the religious guidelines and demands so as to curb social issues as this starts from early education by the family at home. This is what we emphasise," he added.

He noted that in 2020, a total of 35,094 divorce cases nationwide was recorded with Selangor recording the highest number at 7,683 and 12,682 divorce cases recorded last year up to Aug 25, with Selangor also recording the highest number at 2,509.

Ahmad Marzuk did not rule out financial factor as among the causes of divorce among Muslims in the country, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.

At the conference, he said improvement of the standard operating procedures (SOP) related to marriage, divorce and referral to be adapted to the endemic phase was among the topics discussed.

"The applications for marriage, divorce and reconciliation during the pandemic can be inconvenient. So, the process will be fine-tuned during the conference," he said. - BERNAMA