staying with one’s family is replete with benefits: it breeds intimacy, affection and love; it enables sound upbringing, attentiveness to their conditions, discipline and guidance. For that reason a person should not leave his family except when need requires, and once that need is fulfilled he should hurry back to them.

Among the lessons of the ḥadīth is that a person is instructed to teach his household. Thus the Prophet ﷺ said, “Return to your families and teach them,” meaning: convey to them what you have learned from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. One should therefore instruct his family in whatever they need to know—either by arranging a special session for them or, more informally, when they are gathered over food or drink, while waiting for sleep, and the like.

The ḥadīth further shows that instruction alone is not enough. He said, “Teach them and command them,” so one both teaches and issues directives. The most important directive is the prayer, which the Messenger ﷺ highlighted when he said: “Command your children to pray at seven and discipline them for it at ten.” Hence it is essential to educate the family, to command, discipline and guide them.

Another benefit of the ḥadīth is the obligation of the adhān: it is a communal duty. The Prophet ﷺ said, “When the time for prayer comes in, let one of you give the adhān for the rest.”