The Role of Women’s Emotional Intelligence in Fortifying the Islamic Family Structure: A Contemporary Analytical Study in Light of the Qur’an and Sunnah

اسلامی خاندانی نظام کے استحکام میں خواتین کی جذباتی ذہانت کی اہمیت: قرآن و سنت کی روشنی میں ایک معاصر تجزیاتی مطالعہ

Abstract

The Islamic family architecture serves as the primary institution for sustaining socio-moral stability, ethical cohesion, and psychological well-being within human societies. Within this framework, women occupy a pivotal role in nurturing interpersonal dynamics, managing intra-familial affective distress, and mediating domestic conflicts. Consequently, Emotional Intelligence (EI)—encompassing emotional self-awareness, affect regulation, empathy, and constructive interpersonal communication—emerges as a crucial determinant of marital and domestic equilibrium.

This study critically investigates the significance of women’s emotional intelligence in reinforcing the stability of the Islamic family system through a textual and thematic examination of the Qur’an and authentic Sunnah. Employing a qualitative, inductive, and analytical methodology, the research synthesizes primary textual sources, classical Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqh al-Usrah), and contemporary psychological paradigms. The analysis identifies key Islamic ethical constructs that correspond with modern dimensions of emotional intelligence, including emotional restraint (Sabr), compassionate empathy (Rahmah), interpersonal forgiveness ('Afw), consultatives (Shura), and equitable marital conduct (Ihsan). Furthermore, the study addresses modern systemic challenges threatening domestic stability, such as communicative fragmentation, affective disconnect, and rising marital dissolution.

The findings indicate that operationalizing emotional intelligence within the normative boundaries of Islamic ethics enhances psychological resilience, mitigates domestic dissonance, and fosters sustainable family cohesion. The paper concludes with actionable recommendations for integrating emotionally intelligent behavioral frameworks into contemporary Islamic family counseling and pre-marital educational initiatives.