Building a Successful Relationship: The Heavenly Path.

The book takes a detailed look at the cornerstone of society - the relationship between a man and a woman - throughout all the potential phases: the early years of marriage, marriage after children, and marriage after an empty nest.

Within these, the book covers important areas such as the sexual relationship; the true meaning of love; the impact of gender differences and personality differences on a relationship; how to deal with conflicts that will normally arise; how to grow together as a spiritual unit; living with the wider families and what to do when there are more serious problems at hand. The book ends with a look at the house of Ali and Fatima, and the relationship between these role models of all time.

The book is written in a manner and language that is easy to understand and will appeal to all. Throughout the book the Qur'an and hadith are referenced; these inspirational words are used to then offer practical advice. In addition, there are case studies in each chapter from the experiences of real people in real-life situations that will add an extra dimension to the issues covered.

About the Authors

Abbas and Shaheen have been married for 19 years and have two children, 14 and 12 years old. Abbas and Shaheen began their journey into the field of work of marriage and parenting while they were in Qom, doing introductory Islamic studies and learning Farsi. They began translating and compiling material on parenting which eventually became the first of the Heavenly Path series. Since then, they have gone on to conduct workshops on Spouse Selection, Marriage, Young Parenting and Teen Parenting in various parts of the world, including the UK, Africa, India, Canada and the US. They also currently co-teach the Higher Education department for older children in Madressa.

Abbas is a qualified accountant by profession and currently runs a small business. He is actively involved within the community as part of the Stanmore Jafferys Executive Team having served as the chairman for four years and a qualified FA Level 1 Football Coach with the Stanmore Jafferys Football Academy. He has also previously served as a mentor at a number of Summer Camps in Sweden and Iran lead by COEJ and The World Federation. Abbas holds a Parents of Teens Coaching Certification and a Mediation Certification, in addition to his qualifications.

Shaheen has a BSc in Psychology, a Diploma in Montessori Education, and is a certified Hand in Hand Parenting Instructor. As well as parenting classes, she also runs a business called Buzz Ideazz, which seeks to help our children love their faith from an early age, through products and a sharing of ideas. Shaheen co-ordinates the Children’s Islamic Library in Stanmore, which provides a vast range of Islamic resources (books, games, DVDs) for children, and organises events for children during holidays

Reviews

Sheikh Muhammad Hilli

I'm delighted to see the publication of Abbas and Shaheen's new book: 'Building a Successful relationship: The heavenly Path'. Having worked with both authors for many years on marriage and parenting workshops for the community, I am confident that they are well-placed in providing sound and practical advice for healthy and prosperous marital relationships. The book immediately engages the reader whilst incorporating key Islamic concepts for strengthening the family set-up. I am honoured to have contributed to this publication by writing a chapter on the blessed relationship between Imam Ali (a) and Sayida Fatima (a).
This book is a must for all Muslim couples who want to improve their understanding of this divinely-blessed institution, and as the Qur'an states in (25:74), make their families the source of tremendous pride and happiness in both worlds.