Father Child Relationships in the Qur’an: Prophetic Narratives as a Response to Fatherlessness

Abstract

This article investigates father child relationships in the Qur’an through prophetic narratives and develops a relational framework for responding to fatherlessness. Employing qualitative library research and thematic Qur’anic exegesis (tafsīr mawḍūʿī), it examines the narratives of Abraham and Ishmael, Jacob and Joseph, Noah and his son, Zechariah and John, David and Solomon, and Abraham and Azar, together with Qur’anic accounts of alternative care. The analysis identifies ten interrelated principles: generational intention, meaningful presence, emotional accessibility, dialogic communication, protection, spiritual education, shared activity, respect for children’s agency, reconciliation, and the transmission of values. The proposed framework extends Lamb’s dimensions of paternal engagement, accessibility, and responsibility through spiritual purpose, mutual moral accountability, and intergenerational continuity. Five configurations of fatherlessness are distinguished, with corresponding preventive, curative, and protective rehabilitative responses. The study argues that paternal involvement should be evaluated in terms of relational practices and children’s welfare rather than household structure alone. These findings offer a Qur’an-informed ethical framework for family education and continuity of care; they do not constitute an empirically tested intervention.